Fear to Tread
by Emeralds2715
Summary: An unexpected man from Paige's past arrives, but when her initial feelings for him change her emotions become tangled and complicated. Unable to turn to Piper and Phoebe for advice, who can Paige look to for guidance?
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone, this is my first story on FF called Fear to Tread. It's 2:06 AM and I'm waking up at 7 for a four hour drive up-state, please don't hate me for the not well thought out, over-dramatic name. I just wanted to get this up so I could get some reviews while I'm away. I'm not good at summaries but Paige is my favorite Charmed character (I just 3 her so much) so most likely anything I write will star her, hah. Paige gets assigned a charge who isn't who she expected him/her to be. When she realizes her feelings are changing towards the person, she's torn between two, and also realizes how much trouble she's getting herself into. Who will she turn to to talk to? Guess you'll just have to find out ^_^

* * *

Paige stumbled into the kitchen, concentrating on putting down one foot in front of the other. She was dressed in nothing but an old forty-ninersT-Shirt and a pair of ratty, pink slippers, which she'd just barely managed to slip into as she practically tumbled out of bed. It'd been a long night, and Paige hadn't fallen asleep until nearly seven. Granted, judging by the way the sun shone brightly through the slats in the kitchen windows, it was already noon at the very least. Still, sleeping six hours from seven o'clock just wasn't the same as a normal night's sleep.

Her hazel eyes passed from one sister to the other. Phoebe sat at the table, the glare off of her bold-framed reading glasses shielding her dark eyes from view as they skimmed The Bay Mirror newspaper. She was dressed casually, but elegantly in an off-the-shoulder mauve, silk top embroidered with lace, paired with skinny jeans, cuffed at the ankles, and stilettos. Her hair had been slicked back into a stylish bun, allowing for two ringlets to frame either side of her face like parentheses, a silk, pink rose tucked back behind her ear to complete the look.

Feeling grungy and disheveled, Paige caught her other sister's eye and was relieved to see she wasn't the only one that hadn't dressed yet. Piper was standing, leaning against the kitchen counter, dressed in a camisole and a pair of flannel pajama pants, a mug of steaming coffee in her right hand. With the other, she smoothed back her long, light brown hair, sweeping it back from her shoulders so that her dark, prominent eyes became noticeable.

"Is that caffeinated?" Paige mumbled, eyes focusing blearily onto Piper. She nodded, smiling, as Phoebe glanced up from her paper.

"G'morning sunshine." She and Piper shared a teasing look as Piper set about pouring Paige a cup of tea. As she moved for the sugar bowl, Paige shook her head, snatching up the mug from her sister.

"Just black." she said, collapsing into the seat next to Phoebe's and propping her legs up on her lap. Phoebe raised an eyebrow but didn't shift positions.

Paige brought the mug to her lips and sipped. The smell of the caffeine combined with the heat that seared as it burned down her throat brought her eyes open more widely. Phoebe's eyes went round with sympathy as she murmured,

"You look like you've been up all night."

"That _might_ just be because I _have_." she agreed, quieting herself with another long sip from her mug. "The elders contacted me, told me I had a new charge but that they couldn't tell me anything about him...that I can't even talk to you guys once I find out."

"The elders contacted you in the middle of the night?" Piper asked, her eyes serious now. Paige sighed.

"No." she admitted. "But they were jingling in my head all day. And when I finally answered, they gave me this to deal with, on top of demons, and Kyle, and, I don't know, running _magic school_, maybe? Like _that _isn't enough? Don't you think that's enough?" she demanded suddenly, turning to face Phoebe, pouting. "What're _you_ smiling about?" she added gruffly, noting the twinkle in her sister's dark eyes as she pushed her glasses down past the bridge of her nose.

"So he's Kyle now, is he?" she cooed, smiling. Paige reddened.

"Brody, I meant Brody. He's on our tail. I need to take care of him. _That _is all." she returned stiffly, turning her nose up.

"_I_ think you _like_ him." she sang. Piper muffled a laugh in her hands. Paige rolled her eyes, her heart beating slightly too fast.

"That's _ridiculous_." she said coolly, hurrying to her feet and pushing the empty mug into Piper's hands. "I have _more_ to worry about than Br-_Kyle_." she corrected herself in a huff. She strode away, cheeks pink with embarrassment, leaving her sister grinning behind her.

In the bathroom, she slipped out of her ragged t-shirt and slippers and climbed into the shower. She turned the heat up high, each hard, searing droplet on her back a refreshingly painful awakening. She blinked open her eyes, tangling her fingers in her dark hair as she rinsed out the shampoo. It was cinnamon-scented, and the fiery smell filled the room, even as she clambered out of the shower and toweled off.

She examined herself in the mirror. Her heart-shaped face was very pale against the reflected bathroom wall, almost like porcelain. Her hazel eyes were flecked with spots of brown, green and gold. She smoothed a brush of luminescent, white-yellow eye shadow over her lids to bring out the color, just as her adoptive mother had shown her when she'd been younger and trusting of her guidance. The memory was painful and she pushed it away as she applied bright red lipstick to her full lips and swept blush up her soft cheekbones. Her hair was still slightly tousled by the time she'd finished with it, but she had a half hour in which to change and drive up-town to meet her charge at the ice-cream shop.

As she closed the door behind her, allowing her towel to fall to the floor, she acknowledged that the idea of meeting with one of her charges was practically unheard of. Usually, she had to sense them, then seek them out in some alley or another where the poor clueless things were being assailed by dark-lighters.

_This_ was unsettling. Paige could _hardly_ picture the elders scheduling her a lunch date with her new charge. How had it been arranged? It was possible that he was a white-lighter who wasn't new to the craft, one who merely needed guidance. If that was true, it was plausible that the elders had warned him of her arrival. Or perhaps he was a new-comer to the craft and the elders simply knew that the ice-cream shop was a place he visited often.

Exhausted with her thoughts, knowing that they were leading her in circles, she tried to keep her head clear as she thumbed through her closet for an outfit. She finally settled on a pair of faded skinny jeans, a black camisole, gray blazer, and black stilettos decorated with an assortment of sequined flowers. "I'm going to find my charge, call me if you need me." she shouted. She heard Pipers muffled reply as she slammed the door shut behind her, then glanced down the street at her car, a lime green bug.

_Gosh Paige, do you really need a half hour drive in this heat, with your air condition busted? _she asked herself before her eyes darted back towards the open window. No one was there_. If I had a penny for every time I benefited personal gain I'd be rich_, she thought, grinning as she disappeared in a swirl of blue-white lights. She knew that Piper would see her parked car later and she would probably be yelled at for it, but for now it was a refreshing break from monotony.

Smoothing down her blazer, she stepped out from behind the street lamp, and strode up the street. The ice-cream shop was one she and her sisters had been to before, a lively place full of workers on their lunch breaks. The tables and chairs were set up outdoors with waiters to serve the ice-cream. She could remember a lot of Sundays spent here when she'd first met her sisters, could even remember some of the awkward subjects they'd perused. It was odd now, imagining being uncomfortable around her sisters, though it had only been three years that she'd known them. They were family, simple as that.

She glanced around at the tables, but each was occupied by more than one person. Sighing, she slipped into one of the white, wrought-iron chairs, eyes passing wearily from person to person_. Late_, Paige told herself, slightly pissed off. _C'mon Paige, honestly, you're mad at someone for being late? Pot, this is kettle. The two of you will get along fine._

She continued her inner monologue for a few moments more, then jumped as her thoughts were interrupted by an incessant jingling, like sleigh bells being rung wildly in both ears.

A man had just arrived. His back turned to her, he settled into a seat a table or so across from her, alone. _Well it might not be him_, she thought, not eager to move from her comfort zone. It was rare that she was eager to meet charges in general, but she had a particularly foreboding feeling about this one. Another chorus of bells in her head had her standing. _Alright, alright shut the hell up, won't you? I'm going, see?_

Gritting her teeth at the migraine, she crossed to the man's table, holding her head in her hand. With her free one, she tapped the man bluntly on the shoulder. He glanced up as she slipped into the seat across from him. Her eyes focused on the table in front of her, she said clearly,

"Hello, I'm Paige. I don't know how much you were told about this meeting but..." her voice trailed off uncertainly. When the man said nothing she continued, voice gaining strength, "I'm just here to talk to you..." The man's silence was unnerving.

_I hate this whole white-lighter, rendezvous introduction idea. It's ridiculous...Is he supposed to think we're on a date, or does he know why I'm here? I don't want to make a goddamn fool of myself._

Finally, she glanced up. Her eyes met with the man's and she drew in a startled breath. They were so familiar, those deep-set, ice-blue eyes that seemed to drill into her.

"_You're_ my white-lighter?" he asked, raising an eyebrow calmly, though the shock was audible in his deep voice.

"_You're alive_?"


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, so this is a quick update. They will probably be that way for the first three or so because they've already been written. Sorry if some areas of the format aren't right (Different parts of the story continuing without lines in between or extra spaces, lack of indenting, etc.) cause it's all been uploaded from Microsoft Word and I'm not used to how changes around what's been loaded.

* * *

Paige eyed him with a mixture of disgust and disbelief. For the first time in years, Paige saw Cole Turner smirk, baring his perfect white teeth in a grin.

"Well of course I am, Paigey, didn't think that place'd hold me for long, did you?" Paige moved to stand.

"_God_, Cole do you ever just _give up_? When I tell my _sisters_ about you, we'll vanquish you for _good_. " she promised through gritted teeth, already on her feet.

"Uh, uh, uh, sweetie." Cole reached a hand across the table and laid it across her shoulder, pressing her back down into her seat. "You don't want to go giving these people the wrong impression, do you?" She glanced around fiercely at the customers, all of which were staring at their table, and found that she didn't care. Her adrenaline was pumping wildly and she was angrier than she could remember being in a long time.

_Of course it's been a long time Paige, you haven't been this angry since he was alive. How is this happening? Why is he alive? Why in hell does he need a white-lighter, he's the source of all goddamn evil!_

"Alright, Cole, if pretenses are what you _want_." she hissed under her breath, smiling charmingly across the table at him, "Pretenses are what you _get_. Now listen to me, _sweetie_; you're going to tell me _why_ and _how _you're alive and why _you_ of _all_ people, should need a white-lighter. How's that sound to you, _honey_?" she finished, still smiling brightly. Before he could say a word, a waiter approached the table.

"Hello, I'm Carmon, I'll be your server today. What would you like?" Paige hated to admit to herself that she was starving, but she was. Still, she could see from the shake of Cole's head that he wouldn't be eating, and she didn't want to be put off guard by anything. The past few minutes seemed no less than surreal.

"I'm fine, thanks." she said, just as Cole put in,

"Nothing for me, but a kiwi ice in a squeeze cup for her, please?" The man nodded and disappeared. Her gaze fell on him, eyes narrowing. He smiled innocently.

"I remember that being your favorite when I went out with you girls, while I was dating Phoebe." Paige could see the way he cringed slightly as he spoke her name, and rolled her eyes.

"Cut to the chase Cole, before I call my sisters and we vanquish your sorry _ass_ back into the ground where you _belong_." He sighed with mock disappointment.

"Always the impulsive, impatient one, weren't you Paige?" he asked. "Getting your sisters into trouble." She bristled, disgusted with herself for flushing with anger.

"This is _not_ a game Cole." she said fiercely. "I want _answers_." He surprised her by responding accordingly, and though he continued to smile there was an unfamiliar seriousness in his bright eyes.

"I've been given another chance at a life, sent back to Earth as a human. The elders acknowledged that it was a flaw in the grand design that I was forced into life as a demon...and thought that I could make something different of myself given the chance. The catch was I was going to be assigned a white-lighter but..." The anger and disgust returned to his eyes, followed by frustration. They were silent as the waiter offered Paige her kiwi ice and retreated. Paige brought the sweet ice to her lips and nearly moaned at the cold that shot through her. She glanced up at Cole, watching him through her lashes.

"You're _mortal_?" she asked finally, narrowing her eyes with disbelief. He spread his arms out wide, smirking.

"In the flesh." She rolled her eyes, sucking at her ice with renewed determination. The cold taste numbed her mind pleasantly.

"You expect me to _believe_ you?" she asked, trying to remain calm. "And even...even if you _weren't _lying, I'm supposed to _protect_ your murdering ass? What makes you think I'd do that for _you_?" Cole propped his square jaw on his fists, his elbows resting on the table-top.

"I don't _need_ you to protect me, Paige, so don't go thinking you're some sort of hero. You were assigned to me." he shrugged, still grinning. "What you do is your decision."

"_I hate _you Cole." she said finally, her voice soft and meaningful. "If there can be _anything_ here, anything at _all_, you need to know that. If you lay so much as a_ finger _on my sister, I will personally see to it that you die slowly and painfully. And if _that_ doesn't last, I'll do it again, and again, and again."

"Always nice doing business with you Ms. Matthews." he said sarcastically.

"My _sister_." Paige repeated darkly, not blinking an eye. He held up his hands, palms forward, a sign of surrender.

"Scout's honor, Paige." he said coolly.

"And _don't_ call me Paige." she spat, cringing with anger at her name on his tongue. He raised an eyebrow.

"What _do_ I call you?" he asked, looking excruciatingly relaxed. Paige shook her head in angry frustration.

"Call me..._whatever." _She rose, kicking her chair back. "I just can't _deal_ with this right now." Tossing her unfinished ice in the trash can, she hurried away. She turned as a hand brushed her shoulder. "What could you _possibly_ want to tell me? What the _hell_ could _possibly_ be worse than this?" she snapped. He chuckled darkly, offering out a hand.

"You forgot your purse."

* * *

"You have to understand I just can't _do_ this..." Paige breathed, trying to remain calm. The blonde elder shook her head, frowning slightly.

"Paige, this is your _destiny_. We wouldn't push you into something if we didn't think you could handle it." At this, Paige actually laughed out loud, though it was in a bitter tone.

"And you're _quite_ sure about that, _hmmm_?" she asked wryly. The male elder scowled.

"Paige this is a serious matter." She rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips.

"Well, _obviously_." she agreed, losing patience. "I don't _care_ if he's human. Ya know _what_? I don't care if he's a nymph. I don't care if he's an alien. I don't care if he's a fricking _fairy princess_. I don't want anything to do with him and I don't want him to have anything to do with my _sister_!" Both elders' eyes softened.

"It's kind of you to worry about Phoebe what with Cole back, but it's important that you know that their destiny together has ended." Paige wrinkled her nose.

"What is it with you guys and _destinies_?" she asked, exhausted.

"What we're trying to _explain_, Paige, is that you no longer need to fear Cole, nor do you need to worry for Phoebe. What they had together has played out. There is nothing left."

"I'm not _afraid_ of Cole!" Paige snapped, immediately on the defensive. She bit at her bottom lip to keep from smiling at the frustration in the elders' eyes.

"And we're not accusing you of being so Paige." She sighed, gazing out past the bridge towards the night-blackened waters. "Please, believe us when we say that this _is_ the _chosen_ path for you to take."

"When can I tell my sisters?" she asked, then paused, her voice faltering.

_Do I really want to tell them…? Piper will be mad. Phoebe...it'll kill her._

"Give it a week, Paige, allow yourself to get settled in. We hope that if you've grown used to it, your calmness will convince them that things are alright."

"This is _crazy_."

"This is-"

"_Destiny_" Paige interrupted. Once again, she rolled her eyes. "Like I said..._honestly_? I..I can't deal with this right now." The blonde elder opened her mouth to speak, but Paige had already disappeared in a flash of bright lights.

"That girl is too impatient. Perhaps she's right, perhaps she isn't ready."

"She will learn. This is what she's been training for."

"There are some things that cannot be learned through training."

"Yes. There are some things..."

* * *

"Paige, are you _out_ of your _mind_?" Swathed in a globe of blue-white sparkles, Paige materialized directly in front of the wide-open living room window. Phoebe shifted so that she was kneeling, her knees pressing into the soft material of the couch. Her eyes darted back and forth up the block, wide with disbelief. "Someone could have _seen _you! I _know_ we trained you better than that!" Paige toyed with her dark hair, admiring the copper and red tones that streaked each strand where it caught the light. When she refused to meet Phoebe's eyes, a long moment of silence ensued. Paige sighed as Phoebe turned her back on her, bustling loudly as she closed the curtains, sectioning off the neighborhood from view.

"_Sorry, sorry_... I wasn't focusing. I was just...I _just_..." Phoebe's gaze softened. After three years of training, it was extremely rare that Paige made such a huge slip-up. Rarer still was that Paige was so humbled after one of her mistakes had been pointed out. Normally she responded angrily, striking out defensively. Now she just seemed lost.

"What's wrong, sweetie? I haven't seen you since you went to see your charge this morning...How was it?" Paige grimaced.

"I can't tell you. Not _yet _anyway." she said finally. Phoebe raised an eyebrow, then gently patted the couch cushion next to her.

"You've always been able to tell me before." Phoebe murmured, moving over as Paige squeezed in next to her. Paige leaned back against the couch's firm back, letting out a dramatic sigh, then turned to Phoebe and offered her a reassuring smile. Clearly it was unconvincing. Phoebe's frown only deepened.

"It's not that I don't want to." she amended carefully. "The elders told me to wait a w-" She caught Phoebe's eyes for a moment and every thing seemed to slow, her breath coming in soft, audible whooshes. "Month or two." she corrected herself, only slightly guilty with the lie. Phoebe's frown melded into a quiet thoughtfulness, her eyebrows knitting together with confusion.

"Why so long, wouldn't you have already finished up with your charge by then?" she asked.

"This is something of a _special _case." Paige said eventually, allowing for a certain degree of truth, however vague it may have sounded. Phoebe offered one of her toothy smiles.

"Alright, missy Paige, be mysterious, see if I care. But…" her voice trailed away, her smile only widening.

"_And?" _Paige prompted.

"Agent _Brody_ called." she answered almost immediately. Paige pursed her lips, suddenly all too aware of every little thing.

"What'd _he_ want?" Paige asked, trying to appear nonchalant. Phoebe seemed about to concoct an elaborate romance story when another voice put in dryly,

"Don't worry yourself into a _coma_, Paige, he's just doing some more snooping. He wants you to meet him at his office at seven tonight." Paige glared at both girls with an expression meant to make it clear that she was highly affronted.

"_I'm_ not _worried_, _thank you _very much, girls. Now, _me_? I think _I'm_ going up to the attic." Paige motioned elegantly to herself as she stood, giving an operatic bow. "If you need me, which I'm _sure_ you _will_, give me a call." She narrowed her eyes. "I'm not _promising_ I'll come." The air shimmered, ripples turning slightly blue with glittery air particles.

"Well _she's_ in a fine mood, isn't she?" Piper pointed out sardonically, raising an eyebrow.

"She's definitely got _something_ on her mind. Do you know she orbed in right in front of the open window?" Piper frowned.

"Really? That's so unlike her." Phoebe chuckled. "Not that she isn't regularly irresponsible." Piper corrected herself with a sigh. "But she's not _that_ bad." Phoebe nodded her agreement.

"Think it's Brody?" she asked, wearing a disarmingly devious smirk on her face. Piper smiled back, amused with her sister, then shook her head slowly.

"_No, _I think it's more than _that." _she said finally in her usual, thoughtful drawl.

"Like what?" Phoebe asked casually.

"I don't know." Piper said, shrugging as she fell onto the couch next to Phoebe. "But, knowing Paige, I _doubt_ it's anything very good…"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 is up ^_^ Okay this is where the second and last special visitor is revealed. Of this person, I'm not a big fan. Actually I pretty much hate them. But I figured they'd be something of a plot developer as well as someone for Paige to talk to and someone for those of use who prefer some seasons to others to find more of a reason to pursue my fan-fiction. If that doesn't tell you who it is, nothing will.

* * *

Paige darted one more nervous glance at the attic's door, checking to make sure that it had been locked correctly. Piper and Phoebe had gone out, Phoebe to pick up her laptop from work, Piper to look into a plumbing issue at P3. Still, it was possible that either of them could return home at either time. Worse still was the fact that the locked door would mean nothing to Leo, who could easily choose to orb into the attic at any time. _Way to go Paige, have a coronary before you're even thirty. It's not as though you're doing anything wrong, Phoebe and Piper summon Grams all the time, and if anyone can help, it's her. _

_Hear these words, hear my cry, spirits from the other side, come to me, I summon thee, cross now the great divide' _

Almost immediately, the tone of the room seemed to shift. Though the windows were closed, a golden glow suffused its entirety, blindingly bright. A shimmer of luminescent, yellow-white lights lit the crystals that Paige had placed in a circle in front of her. Their soft blue color hardened, and they shone a dark blue as a figure swathed in unearthly light appeared within the crystals' circle.

Paige swept her hair back from her face as the light began to ebb, the figure becoming more distinguishable. "Hey Grams, sorry I called on you out of nowhere but I _kinda_ need to talk…" she offered, shrugging her shoulder self consciously, her back stiffening as her toes pointed towards one another. She bounced anxiously on the balls of her feet, shifting uncomfortably from side to side.

"_What?" _Paige glanced up from where her nervous eyes had trained on the Book of Shadows to meet the eyes of the woman within the circle. Grams sounded different, her voice slighlty softer and lighter, like a younger girl's, though still with a slightly rough ring to it, a lot like Piper's. What she saw there caught her cold.

"You're definitely _not_ Grams." Paige pointed out the obvious, stepping out from behind the stand that held the book.

"Yeah, well neither are _you_, and I was just talking to her…" The woman's tone was icy, though Paige could sense her confusion. Her green eyes focusing, she glanced around at the attic, then drew in a deep breath. "Oh. My. _God_." She whirled around, her eyes catching Paige's and she raised an eyebrow, surprised at the level of panic in them. It was obvious that the call hadn't reached Grams. Perhaps she'd read the spell wrong, or Grams hadn't been around. It would be easy enough to send her back. Why did she look so stricken?

"Look, _calm_ down, alright?" Paige said, racking her mind for what she might have done wrong. She hadn't looked at the book to read the spell, but she was positive that she'd recited it correctly. It was a spell that she'd used on a number of occasions, and she'd never had any difficulties with it before.

"How did you do this? How did you bring me back?" Paige paused from flipping through the Book of Shadows and glanced up again, meeting the woman's eyes. She was thin, more athletically built than curvaceously so, as Paige herself was. Her nose was small, a pixie nose, though her lips were full. Her eyes were a dark, jade green framed by thick black lashes. Beneath one was a prominent beauty mark. There was something decidedly familiar about her, as though she'd seen her somewhere before.

"Bring you _back_?" Paige echoed, scrunching her nose up with frustration as she normally did when confronted with a problem of this magnitude. "You mean you've been here before? Who _are_ you?" The woman scowled, and Paige was instantly angry with her. "You can't blame me for asking you all these questions." she added. "I called for someone, else, why did you come? And…" she paused, quirking an eyebrow with confusion. "Wait…did you say you were talking to _Grams_? _My_ Grams?" The woman folded her arms against her chest, still frowning.

"Of course I've been here, this is my house!" she snapped, her eyes wide as though she herself could hardly believe what she was saying. "Who are _you?" _

"_I _don't know who _you_ are, but_ this? This _is _my _house, and I-" she broke off, full lips parting with sudden realization. "Wait, you said you _lived_ here? How long ago?"

The woman threw her hands up in a dramatic expression of impatience, a movement that Paige herself had executed thousands of times before to the general amusement of her sisters. "_Yeah_, I said _I _lived here. I don't _know_ how long it's been…They haven't been letting me watch. Special circumstances or something, I haven't been able to see what's been going on down here. I-" she broke off, her frown suddenly a grimace. "Do you mean my sisters don't live here anymore? When did you buy this house? But the book…_The book _is here. Unless you're a demon." Paige rolled her eyes, unable to voice what she was thinking, and decided to retaliate in kind as she fit her thoughts into place.

"Oh, _yeah_, because demons are _always_ looking for chats with their dead, _angelic_ relatives."

"Alright, look, cut the crap. Who are you? Why did you summon me, what do you want?" Paige sighed, fingering the book with one hand while she twined a curly strand of her dark hair around the other.

"I'm Paige Matthews. And you…you're Prue aren't you? I mean I can't believe I didn't realize it before, I probably should've. Only I was so distracted what with Grams not showing. I don't understand how you came here. As far as _I_ know it's been pretty much impossible to call you down here and my _sisters_-" Prue held up a hand, palm showing. Paige's eyes narrowed with anger. True, she'd been ranting, but then, that was what she did when she was nervous. Was this overbearing woman really her sister? It was all very hard to understand, as well as difficult to take in, and her anger was only clouding her understanding more, not to mention her good judgement.

"Paige, your name is Paige? And you've got sisters, magical ones? All of you have the book? Did my sisters pass it down to you? Are you related to us?" Paige took a deep breath, steadying herself, trying to balance out her anger with the knowledge that being dead three years and not even realizing how much time had passed couldn't have been the best way for a girl to pass the time.

"Yes, I am. I'm….your sister." Prue blinked. It was obvious that was an answer she hadn't been expecting.

"What do you mean you're my sister? That's not possible…" she scoffed, recovering quickly from the shock. Paige was coming to regard Prue with extreme dislike, sister or no. She was nothing like either of her sisters. She was more stubborn, more pushy, and much more badly tempered.

_Sort of like yourself, hmm Paige? _she asked herself, then pushed the thought away, scowling at its implications.

"They didn't tell you about all this up there?" Paige asked, tilting her head towards the ceiling in indication. Prue winced and it was clear that Paige had caught a chink in her armor.

"No." she agreed finally, heaving a disgusted sigh. "They haven't told me anything at all, and I don't know why. I don't understand…"

"Good, well then maybe you should listen to me." Paige offered, hoping she didn't sound as angry as she felt. Prue leered at her but remained silent. Glaring back, she steeled herself for a long story. "Our mom had _me _when you guys were little, with her white-lighter, Sam." she began, trying to speak calmly despite the narrowing of Prue's eyes when she referred to Patty as 'our mom'.

"She was cheating?" Prue interuppted, looking more curious than hurt.

"I'm not sure…" Paige admitted. "It might have been after the divorce, I really don't know much about them…" That in particular had been difficult to tell, but Prue declined to make a rude comment.

"How old was I?" she asked after a moment, her voice oddly soft. Though it seemed an unecessary question, the 'deer caught in a headlights' look on her face was enough to make Paige turn to calculations.

_Let's see, so if Prue was…hmm how old was she when she died? Thirty, I think Piper said. She would be Thirty three now, nearly thirty four. That makes her six years older than me, give or take. _

"Almost seven." Paige spoke up, catching Prue's eyes. "She couldn't keep me, it wasn't allowed then. They had to give me up. Of course the elders threw _that _darling idea out the window when they realized that their precious _Charmed Ones _could never be reconstituted without me. _That_ paved the way for Leo and Piper having _their _kids…" Prue shook her head wildly back and forth and Paige became suddenly aware that it might have been more prudent to dole out information slowly.

"Reconstituted? You're…a Charmed One? But how is that possible? And….Leo and Piper…kids?" Paige breathed in deeply, taking one question at a time.

"In a way. I'm the third sister…again. I have the power to move things with my mind…like you." Even as Prue was digesting this she added, "And yes, Leo and Piper have had two kids, Wyatt and Chris. They're good kids." Answering Prue's unspoken question, she added, "Wyatt will be three next year. Chris just turned one."

"Show me." Prue demanded, leading Paige to believe that this was where Piper had inherited her bossy side from.

"Show you _what_?"

"Your powers. Prove it." Paige toyed at her bottom lip with her teeth. She was so tired of being asked to prove herself. Her sisters, the elders, Cole, and now this? Paige held out a slim, pale hand.

"Lamp" Swathed in blue-white lights, the lamp appeared in her outstretched hand. She set it down on the floor, then casually orbed to the other side of the room and back. When she reappeared, her hands were on her hips, her gaze sarcastic. "Satisfied?"

Prue seemed ready to snap back when they both jumped as a loud creak sounded.

* * *

Dun dun dun! A loud creak? Who is it? Someone awesome. Yeah. And yes *sigh* it is Prue. I pretty much can't stand Prue OR Shannen Dorhety. Paige/Rose McGowan MADE Charmed for me, despite that she was a late-comer to the show. But I never understood why they couldn't see Prue the way they saw the ghosts of Patty and Penny, not that she should come back to life but for advice. I think that for one year, two-three tops, the excuse that they needed to learn to cope without her was valid. Eventually it just pissed me off. If I was Paige and I knew that there was a chance in hell I could speak to my dead older sister, I would go nuts trying to. None of them even attempted summoning her after the fourth season. I thought of that as a hole. I just filled it. Yay me. I don't know what posessed me to do this. But yeah, this is Prue. Comments and critiques, especially on ways to better my understanding of portraying the characters and their personalities, is greatly appreciated. Don't be shy. Post a review! XD


	4. Chapter 4

Hey, Chapter 4's up. So this one's a tad longer. I know this story might be dragging so far, especially since Cole is a major part of the plot and he only showed up in one chapter? He'll be back Cole fans, promise. When I write I don't really plan what happens, it just sort of writes itself. I didn't know Piper and Paige would fight...but Paige is very melodramatic and sometimes somewhat shallow and prideful? So I thought that was a good way to show how her emotions were over-taking her and she reacted sort of like Paige tends to do...not very responsible and pretty much all instinct no thought. :)

* * *

"Hey, Paige, your sister said you would be up here and I-" The man's voice broke off with strangled disbelief as his silvery eyes zeroed in on Prue's disembodied ghost. "What the _hell _is that?" His hand flew to his pocket and he quickly drew out a formidable looking pistol. Paige found herself rolling her eyes at him, despite the apparent trouble that they were in.

_It's so him that even in day wear he carries a pistol. Honestly…_

"Brody, _what_ are you doing up here?" she demanded, running an anxious hand through her hair. "And what are you gaping at, you knew about….well, about this." she finished, awkwardly gesturing towards Prue's general direction.

"So I'm Brody now, am I?" he asked, frowning convincingly despite his widened eyes.

"_Kyle_, then." Paige corrected herself, voice dripping with sarcasm. She eyed Kyle through her lashes.

"Yeah I knew." he said, raising an eyebrow at the hostile glare Prue had leveled at him. "It's just a bit of a shock seeing it in person is all." Now that he had gotten over the initial surprise, he seemed almost reluctant to admit it. That made sense. Brody-or Kyle, rather-didn't seem like the type to appreciate anyone, even himself, catching him at letting his guard down. Cautiously, he settled onto the thread-bare couch closeby.

"So what is this, some sorta spell gone wrong? Some weird demon thing?" Paige gave a sigh of irritated impatience as Prue's lip curled.

"I happen to be her sister." she said loftily, darting a glance at Paige before turning her searing eyes back to Kyle. Seemingly unbothered, he only chuckled.

"You're kidding." When no one agreed, he bit at his lip. "So what's your name, then?" Prue seemed on the verge of wringing his neck. Paige couldn't seem to remember Piper or Phoebe ever mentioning a temper of this extent. But then, she supposed after someone so close as a sister died, it wasn't the bad things you dwelled on, save for the amusing, less serious flaws.

"Prue." she said finally, the reluctance clear in her tone.

"Yeah, alright, Prue, would you mind if I talked to Paige alone?" Paige eye's widened, the sarcastic disbelief disappearing only to be replaced by a guarded stare.

"What for?" Prue asked, cutting Paige to the chase. Now this, she _had_ heard of Prue. Phoebe and Piper had always made it clear that Prue had little patience with the men they had dated, and had almost always been snippy with them. It figured that the one _bad _trait Prue had exercised on her sisters, she had taken up with Paige, though she didn't seem to intend to try being nice anytime soon. Kyle smirked, though his eyes were serious.

"It really isn't any of your business, is it Ms. Halliwell?" He turned to Paige. "Coming?" he added, extending a hand. The look on Prue's face was more than enough to prompt her to take it. Following him out of the room, she glanced back over her shoulder at Prue before Kyle pulled the door shut behind them.

"So what do you want, Kyle? A case? Cause, if you _haven't_ noticed, I have a _bit_ of a dilemma on my hands right now and _I_-" Ordinarily, anyone pressing their finger to her lips would have had her in an uproar. Instead, she flushed.

"I want you to go out with me tonight at ten. No police talk, just you and me. How does that sound." He removed his finger, and she resisted pressing her own hand to her lips to calm the numb sensation that had risen there.

She opened her mouth to decline, then found herself repeating, "No police talk?" with a practiced pout.

"Scout's honor." She smiled.

"Then _I_ will _definitely_ be there."

* * *

Paige was home at five the next morning. It was rare that she woke up before noon, let alone that early, but last night had been…different. The sex had been, without a doubt, indescribably terrific. Neither of them had slept at all. Ordinarily, despite the good sex, she would have slept in. For some reason, though, she had hoped her sisters wouldn't find out, or at least not yet. Getting home early, when both would still be asleep, would hopefully be enough to keep them from prying, especially Phoebe.

Unfortunately, when she fit her keys into the lock and tiptoed into the living room, still in her considerably unkempt dress of the night before, both Phoebe and Piper were waiting for her. Each wore a pair of pajamas, as though they hadn't been up long. Neither had yet gotten themselves coffee. It was clear that they were waiting for her. Paige bit at her lip to keep from heaving an emormous sigh. There was just so much to deal with lately, Cole and Prue and Kyle all in the same day. She wasn't sure how much she could take.

Without saying a word, she turned on her heel and headed in the other direction. Unfortunately for her, sudden movements were not a good idea after two nights with no sleep, especially considering how she was still slightly drunk with pleasure. She stumbled to the ground, her knee bruising as it hit the hard-wood floors, elbow opening up in a deep gash where it bumped into a sharply cornered piece of furniture.

"Aw honey!" Phoebe cooed understandingly. Her bare feet beat time as she hurried over, kneeling over so that her eyes were level with her sister's. Her fussing could barely be heard over Piper's maniacal laughter.

"That's what you get for trying to out-walk the walk of shame." she barked through fits.

"I'm _sure _I don't know _what_ you're _talking_ about." Paige said haughtily, drawing back as Phoebe moved to help her to her feet and doing it for herself. She wobbled slightly as she stood and decided to balance on one leg until the throbbing ceased.

"It looks like you twisted it up, maybe you should call Leo." Phoebe advised, turning to face Piper as she finished. Paige opened her mouth to decline, then nodded; anything to shift the subject away from the humiliating sex-talk.

"Yeah." she agreed finally. "Yeah." Amidst gails of laughter from Piper who seemed slightly giddy herself, most likely from waking up so early, she hobbled over to the couch. Phoebe settled in next to her, looking sympathetic enough if not slightly inclined to laugh as well.

"Leo's with the elders." Phoebe comforted, taking Paige's unusual silence for pain. "I bet he'll take a little longer to get down here." This was punctuated by another one of Piper's signature calls of,

"Leo! Leo, get your _ass_ down here!" She glanced over at Paige and, noticing the rate at which her ankle was swelling, seemed to take on a bit more of a serious approach. "I'm going to kill him!"

"Oh, calm down, she's gunna be fine, right sweetie?" she asked, turning to Paige. Paige nodded simply, not bothered much by the pain in comparison to injuries she'd sustained before.

"Yeah, don't worry about _me_, I'm _fine_." Piper grinned.

"Good, then you're totally free to explain why you popped in before it's even light out?" Paige narrowed her eyes.

"Only if you can explain why _you're _up so early." she countered. Piper rolled her eyes as Phobe snorted.

"I think we both know that." she said simply.

"C'mon sis, _spill_." Phoebe prompted. There was no more putting it off; better to get it over with than to drag it out.

"Me and Kyle sorta…_did_ it last night." Piper raised an eyebrow.

"Did it?" she echoed. Paige wrinkled her nose.

"_You_ know."

"She had sex." Phoebe offered. Paige glared.

"How was he?" Phoebe asked giddily, leaning forward. Paige scowled.

"I-" Before she could put in another angry word, Leo appeared in a flash of brilliant, white-blue lights. It was most likely lucky that he had. Paige tended to be rather over-dramatic when her pride had been insulted, and it was possible that Phoebe's innocent question could have triggered an all out war.

"Good thing you got here." Piper told him sensibly. "Paige here, is in one of her _moods_." Leo smiled cautiously, obviously hoping to stay neutral.

"I am _not_!" Paige snapped, rounding on Piper. "I just don't want the two of you constantly _butting_ into my personal life!"

"Maybe we wouldn't _have _to if you'd actually _talk_ to us!" Piper countered, flaring up in response to her sister's anger.

"Is there anyway I could help?" Leo attempted nervously. Instantaneously, both girls turned towards him and snapped,

"No!"

"Why don't you heal Paige up, Leo? She hit her ankle before when she was coming in. I think she might have twisted it." Phoebe began to ramble nervously, acting the part of the concerned middle sister; a role which she had finally, unwittingy, learned to play with ease. Leo and Phoebe chatted loudly over the sounds of Paige and Piper's raised voices. A golden glow suffused the room as Leo pressed a hand to Paige's ankle, which had swollen to the size of a large golf ball.

"Is there a spell to vanquish your sister?" Paige demanded dramatically, whirling around to face Phoebe and eyeing her questioningly.

"Uh…not that I _know_ of." Phoebe answered, smiling a toothy smile in the hopes that the question had really been meant teasingly.

"It was a _rhetorical_ question." Piper corrected loudly.

"No it wasn't!" Paige returned childishly, rising to her feet just as Leo was finishing up on her ankle. Not glancing back, she charged towards the stairs.

* * *

So the guy at the door was Kyle ^_^ And for the record, this is Kyle asking Paige out for the first time. I was gunna make him finding out about her magic, but I really do like Kyle's personality, that he's always one up on everyone else and always kind of crazed, knew about magic a long time and all. So I'm keeping with the story that he knew from a long time. But he was just kind of like 'Holy crap a fricking ghost!' which is understandable, hah. Hope you liked it. Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

Yep, Chapter 5 :) I sort of like this one. It's a prelude to something REALLY big that's gunna happen in the next, which I guess you can all pretty much guess.

* * *

"I don't know, I just have _so_ much to deal with…" Paige threw her hands up in the air, offering her signature roll of the eyes.

"Like what?" Prue asked sharply. Paige sighed.

"Like Kyle, like magic school, like my sisters…Like Cole…I haven't seen him, but I'm supposed to be 'on my guard'" and here she added in a sardonic quotations mark with her fingers, "if he calls, to protect him. Can you imagine? _Protect_ him." At the name, Prue bristled noticably despite her shimmering figure.

"I don't understand why you don't tell my-" she broke off, her eyes focusing sullenly onto Paige. "Our…sisters about him."

"Why don't _you_?" Paige taunted.

"They can't know you can talk to me. They're not ready yet." Paige blinked, then smiled bitterly.

"Well that's just _peachy_." Paige affected an irritated glare. "Just one _more_ secret."

"You know," Prue pointed out sternly, "It'll be a week tomorrow. The elders said to wait about that long. You should tell them before you chicken out."

"I'm _not _going to '_chicken out'_." Paige snapped, eyes squinting slightly as they tended to when she was frustrated, just as Prue's did. "I just…need some more time." Prue raised an eyebrow, folding one arm over the other and eyeing Paige with an expression that made it clear she was not convinced.

"What are you waiting for, Paige?" she asked, her tone once again bossy. "Just do it. They'll have to know sooner or later."

"_Preferably_ later." Paige mumbled under her breath. Prue didn't seem to have heard or, if she had, didn't deign her comment worthy of an answer. Instead, she pursed her lips, looking the picture of a mother scolding her child.

"When have your sisters ever kept anything from you? They deserve the truth, and you're in a perfect position to give it to them. Phoebe, especially, needs to know." Her voice softened slightly at the words. Over the past few days, Paige had begun to fill Prue in on the things that she'd missed. The day before last, they'd come to the twice-vanquishings of Cole Turner, neither of which, it seemed, had stuck as fast as all of the girls could have hoped. Although Paige hadn't found it in herself to delve into the more sisterly moments (frankly feeling not only as though her privacy with her family was being breached, but as though her moments with her sisters would have seemed less sincere in light of their 'real' sister having returned), Prue had managed to piece together the fact that Phoebe had not exactly been giddy with happiness after any of his deaths.

Prue herself still seemed rather unsure of going into detail about her past life, and Paige, not being one to beg, hadn't bothered to prompt her. What Prue had told her about, was her time after death which, oddly enough, hadn't been half so interesting as it might have been.

As far as Paige knew, Prue had spent the majority of her time with their mother and grams. She'd been made to promise that for a period of three years, she would remain sheltered from the goings on on earth, both to protect herself from an emotional upheaval, and to keep her sisters from distraction. For over a year now, Prue had been waiting for the seemingly inevitable denoument when one of her sisters called for her. When none of them did, she'd begun to worry, showing signs of strain. She'd had no idea whether her sisters even remembered her, whether they had moved on moments after her death, whether they themselves were even still alive. According to what she'd learned recently, their Grams and Mom had agreed that if either of them were called by the girls, they would send Prue in their place. Clearly, it had been a mistake that Paige had been the first to call on her, seeing as both Grams and Mom had agreed that it would be best for Prue to tell no one but the first sister for a time. The whole thing had been meant to be done in careful intervals, explained meticulously, the rules drawn out. Prue could not come back to life. Prue was a ghost, as their mother and grams were, and nothing more. Paige understood that. But would her sisters?

In all honesty, Paige was glad that it would be a while yet before she could tell her sisters about Prue. In fact, unbeknownst to Prue, she wasn't sure if she ever wanted them to know at all. Ashamed as she was to admit it, she had begun to worry that, upon discovering Prue, they would drop her as though she'd never existed at all. After all, she was only their half sister, and one that they'd only known four years at that. Prue, meanwhile, was their full blood sister, their eldest, the one who had taken care of them from birth, someone who was almost a mother figure to them. How could she even think to beat that? It would be bad enough as it was, talking to the girls (Phoebe especially) about Cole's return. Phoebe would be heart-broken. Selfishly though, Paige felt that the decidedly 'happier' news of Prue would be doubly devastating, or at least to herself.

And so, angry as she was at the moment (both with herself for re-discovering Prue, and with Prue herself for coming at all), she had no choice but to admit that her half-sister was right. She had been keeping far too many secrets lately, while her sisters had always confided everything in her.

"I'll tell them tonight, _okay_? Just stop bugging me." Prue snorted.

"_You_ summoned _me_, if I remember correctly." she pointed out darkly.

"Yeah for once, you _do_, and _maybe that _was a mist-" she broke off suddenly, her face contorting with mingled pain and irritation. She caught at her bottom lip with her teeth, her face scrunching up.

"Constipated?" Prue sympathized. Paige restrained herself from flashing the middle finger.

"Look _you_," she motioned towards her sister and the circle of crystals that surrounded her, "Get _out_ of here because _I_ have yet _another_ rat to deal with." Prue and Paige disappeared simultaneously, Prue in a flash of yellow-gold, Paige in soft blue and white, the angry jingling still flashing its alarm in her head.

When she arrived, her head was still pulsing. Pressing a hand to her forehead as a fresh wave of bells began to subside, she made out that she was in a sidewalk clearing fit in between two filthy-looking buildings. Chinese writing was scrawled across the sides so that she was able to make a clear guess as to where she was.

Behind her was a typical looking demon, dressed all in thick black leather, his long hair pulled back with a suede tie. His blue-black eyes were narrowed as he glared at a man who had been backed against a dead-end wall, smirking in a satisfied way as he passed a low voltage energy ball from hand to hand.

As the jingles died down entirely, Paige dropped into routine, orbing across the alleyway and materializing besides the man. She supposed it shouldn't have surprised her that it was Cole. Being mortal, she couldn't imagine any other powerless creature that would be casually taunting a demon, low-leveled or no. Rolling her eyes, she shoved him aside.

"Are you _crazy_, or just _stupid_?" she asked, eyeing him disdainfully. "You're gunna get yourself killed?" Adding the last few words to herself, she murmured, "Assuming you really _don't_ have powers, which I'm not _entirely _sure I bu-" she broke off as the demon lunged forward, tossing the electric blue energy ball in her direction.

"Energy ball." she said casually, flicking her wrist gently to the right in direction. The energy ball promptly veered off course, hurtling towards the demon. He ducked down as it sailed over his head, exploding as it made contact with a grubby-looking garbage can. "My, my, is _that_ all you've got?" Scowling, the demon shimmered out with a warning,

"I'll be back with reinforcements Belthazar!" Calmly brushing soot from her capris, she snorted,

"Yes, you _do_ that." she glanced up at Cole. "By the way," she added conversationally, "Why _is_ it that that _demon _called you _Belthazar_? Do tell." He shrugged, smirking.

"Still don't trust me?" he asked.

"Yeah, well, you really can't blame me for that, can you?" Paige said, offering an exaggeratedly disgusted facial expression as she turned to leave.

"Wait." She whirled around, shouldering her purse.

"What?" He chuckled, obviously already enjoying what he was about to say.

"How do I know they won't attack me again. Can't you walk me somewhere safer?" Rolling her eyes once again, she nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"Whatever." It was just as they rounded the corner onto Chinatown's main street when Paige was pulled back by the hair, spirals of angry pain shooting up through each thin strand of her clumsily put-together ponytail. She whirled around clawing at the fact of the demon who was holding her. The demon from before had returned as promised and was grappling with Cole. Clearly he had brought company; a pair of darklighters. Inwardly wincing, she struggled out of his grip and orbed sidelong into the demon who had gotten hold of Cole. Cole delivered a swift kick to his face as Paige shouted,

"Metal beam…thingy!" The metal lining on one of the newer buildings that had been dangling by a nail disappeared in a flash of blue lights. She swung her arm at the demon and it knocked into his head from behind. Blood leaked from his head as he crumpled to the ground.

"Metal beam thingy?" he questioned sarcastically as she moved back into fighting stance. One of the darklighters was advancing, bow out and armed with an arrow that glowed a dark, bruised, blue-violet in the sun's early rays. Paige ducked as one sailed over her head, falling to the floor and tumbling before hurrying to her feet and swiftly punching the demon in the cheek. He wobbled slightly as she advanced on him, massaging his jaw with his free hand.

"Bow and arrow!" she yelled, motioning with her hands. With a clanging sound, it crashed into the wall behind them. Paige darted behind him and elbowed him in the side, leaving him vulnerable to an open kick.

"Going _down_." she congratulated herself, smirking just as Cole snapped,

"Duck, Paige, goddamnit!" Even as he spoke, her world seemed to blur as something heavy pressured her stomach. Her head cracked as it hit the ground, legs folding up awkwardly, splayed on either side of her body. Blood seeped out of the open wound on either side of the arrow and she let out a frustrated moan, eyes fluttering, as her hand came forward to pat her head Feeling the blood caked in her hair, she scowled, though her scowl faded quickly as the alleyway went white and nothing but vague sounds existed; the pound of feet on the floor, a scream, a dull throbbing, her own wimpering.

Cole watched, frowning, then leapt to his feet as an arrow flew by. He was no white-lighter, partial or otherwise, and it wouldn't have the posionous affect it'd had on Paige on himself, but he was still in no hurry to be hit. "You _know_," he said casually, "You're getting pretty _damn_ annoying." Darting a glance to reassure himself that Paige was out cold, he tensed his hand. A huge fireball appeared there, glowing with a wildly coalescing light of throbbing reds, oranges, and yellows. "Here, maybe this'll shut you up."

Not bothering to watch as the demon went, screaming, up in flames, he strode to Paige's side and leaned over, brushing her dark brown hair out of her face, tinted slightly red in the bright sunlight. "Everything always seems to happen to _you_ Paige, doesn't it?" he asked, smiling almost remniscently. "Then again," he added, chuckling slightly, "It was usually because of me, wasn't it? I guess old habits die hard." Still laughing lightly to himself, he scooped her up in his arms, smiling at her weightlessness, and shimmered out.

* * *

Yup you heard right, he used a FIREBALL and then SHIMMERED out. I'm not sure yet whether the elders know that he has powers or if he fooled them, but I'm sure it'll come to me. It'd be awesome if you could guess where Cole is taking her ^_^ Hence the drama in the next chapter to look forward to.


	6. Chapter 6

Hmmm...Chapter 6 is up. I'm not so sure I like this chapter as much as the others? I think the whole thing, which is supposed to be this big confrontation, comes off as sort of rushed? I figured since normally every other time Phoebe saw Cole come back she was pissed, and seeing as it's been so long that he's been dead, she'd just be sort of disbelieving and exhausted. Yes it sort of toned down the story...but it seemed the most plausible. And there will be some more sub-plots soon I promise :)

* * *

"I don't know _what's_ wrong with her, she hasn't talked to me all week."

"I don't know either Piper." Phoebe admitted, sinking onto the wicker chair in the conservatory, her hands warm where they touched on her mug of coffee. She drank deeply before adding, "I'm sure she'll come around. You're _sisters_." Piper sighed, looking exhausted, and took a sip of her own coffee.

"I hope you're right Pheebs." she said finally. "She just seems a little off lately, like something's g-" she broke off as the door-bell rang, one long jingle, then two, three and four, all in quick succession.

"I'll get that." Piper promised Phoebe as she rose. "Take a rest, sweetie, you're always on your feet."

A familiar man was at the door, his short, dark hair tousled, his ice-blue eyes slightly wild. "What…What the…_What_ the _hell _is going _on_?" Piper snapped, walking backwards as the man followed her into the conservatory. Phoebe blinked, stumbling to her feet. Her coffee mug shuddered, then fell to the floor, breaking close to her foot. She cursed with anger as the hot coffee washed over her bare feet and backed up, falling back onto the couch.

"Cole." she whispered, fist clenching. "How…_Why_?" Cole rolled his eyes at Piper, but upon hearing Phoebe's voice bit at his lip.

"I take it Paige didn't tell you…" Piper's lip curled, but her eyes widened as they landed on Paige, slumped in Cole's arms, her full, red lips parted.

"Tell me _what_? How are you…_alive_? And Paige? What did you _do_ to her?" Piper's voice rose an octave with realization. Stuttering with disbelief, she advanced, hands out. "Put her down _slowly_." she warned through gritted teeth. "_Slowly_." Rolling his eyes, Cole turned and desposited her gently on the couch.

"I see _you_ haven't changed." He turned to Phoebe, his confidence failing. "Long time no see, Phoebe." She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. Finally she decided on a murmured,

"What have you done to Paige?" He sighed, running a hand over the stubble on his square jaw.

"I haven't done anything to her." he said finally. "A dark-lighter hit her with an arrow." Phoebe shook her head wildly back and forth as Piper scowled.

"How did you find her? How do I know you didn't do it?" Cole sighed, dropping onto the couch at Paige's feet.

"You know me. That's not my MO." he tilted his head towards the blue-black arrow that poked out of her chest. "_That_, is a dark-lighter."

"You're alive." Phoebe repeated softly. Cole shook his head.

"Phoebe, you can do whatever you want with me _later_. Your sister here? She's dying." Breathing deeply, Piper managed,

"When have you ever cared about Paige before?"

"I need her _alive_." he admitted, his gaze flitting towards her and back again. Phoebe shook her head again before seeming to decide that whether or not Paige lived was more important than whether or not Cole did.

"LEO" Piper called, obviously deciding the same. "LEO! LEO, get down here!" He appeared in a flash of brilliant white-blue lights that faded to reveal a quizzical expression.

"What's wrong, Piper?" he asked, darting glances from Piper, who was red with fury, to Phoebe who seemed to be in the midst of a coronary of sorts, to Paige, who was slumped on the couch, her eyes loosely closed, her hands clutching at thin air. When his eyes landed on Cole, he drew in a deep breath, riddled with reluctant understanding.

"Cole." he said aloud. "The elders told me _more_ than enough about _this_ case. They _trusted_ you. What have you done to Paige? I thought you were stripped of powers." Phoebe remained uncharacteristically silent as Piper looked on, opening and closing her mouth as different things occurred to her to speak aloud, each more wild than the one that followed.

"You _knew_?" she asked finally, whirling around to face her husband. "You _knew_ that Cole was back and you didn't _tell_ us?" Still eyeing Cole with caution, he said out of the corner of his mouth,

"I _promised_ not to tell. Paige was meant to tell you in her own time." Piper rolled her eyes, fingers digging into the fabric that coated the arm of the couch.

"_Paige_ knew too? What the hell _is_ this?" Breathing in and out very deeply, she added hysterically, "I can _not _handle this right now! I _can't_!" Leo dared to glance away from Cole for a moment in order to offer Piper a look of anxious sympathy. "Well what're you waiting for? _Heal_ her!" Leo's eyes widened.

"Oh! Right, yeah!" Unusually flustered, he knelt at Paige's side.

"Wait." Phoebe finally spoke up, voice very soft, as she approached. She knelt at Leo's side, gesturing for him to move back. "This is a dark-lighter arrow. It's poisonous to you too." Eyes lingering on Phoebe worriedly for a moment longer, Leo nodded, standing, and retreated. Expressionlessly, Phoebe gently smoothed Paige's hair back from her face. Without warning, she gripped the arrow's tail-end and yanked. Paige stirred slightly, blinking tiredly as Phoebe placed the arrow on the floor.

"Phoebe?" Paige murmured, her lips parting only with effort. Silently, Phoebe rose and backed away, clearing the space for Leo to heal her.

She was angry, there could be no doubting that; angry and shocked and hurt, but prominently angry. Angry at Leo, at Cole, and especially at her younger sister. How could she keep something like this a secret? Why? And look what trouble it'd gotten her into. Phoebe was almost positive that Cole had been the one to send that dark-lighter after her. It hardly mattered that he'd returned her to the house for healing. He had to be up to something. This was Cole, after all, and he was back. Back. The very idea seemed impossible. She had been running from him for so long. She'd thought that was done, that that could end. Apparently she'd been wrong.

She wanted to throttle them, all three secret-keepers. And yet there was Paige, Paige who'd suffered so much, who'd never gotten the chance to know her own sisters. Her _baby sister_. There she was on the couch, wracked with coughing, her pale, porcelain skin slicked with sweat. How could she hate her? She loved her too much.

When Leo had finished healing the gaping wound in her chest, Piper returned with a damp rag. Phoebe snatched it from her and moved quickly forward, anxiously dabbing at her baby sister's forehead. Piper raised an eyebrow and, leaning over to brace Phoebe on either shoulder, whispered softly,

"Pheebs, she's gunna be fine. Everything is gunna be fine." Phoebe merely continued patting down Paige who was staring glassily up at her.

"Phoebe." she managed. "This is all my fault. I was gunna tell you today." Phoebe wanted to argue, to scream and yell and say that, yes, it was her fault, all her fault.

"Shh, sweetie, it's fine. I'm not mad." she said instead, smiling softly. Paige raised an eyebrow playfully, biting at her lip to restrain a threatening cough.

"_I _would be." she admitted. Phoebe thought that was possibly the biggest understatement of the century. Paige reacted hysterically to her _earrings_ being borrowed. If she had been in Phoebe's place, there would have been an explosion, doubtless. Still, it was slightly easier for Phoebe to relate to Paige. When Prue had been alive and _she'd_ been the youngest sister, she'd always found _herself_ blowing up in just the same way. Besides, it couldn't be easy discovering magical powers, and a whole new family in a few short hours, not to mention having your home destroyed by said magic and being forced to move in with the family. Still…she understood how much Cole's vanquish had meant to Phoebe. Why couldn't she have told sooner?

"It's fine, honey." she promised as Paige managed a sitting position, looking defiant even as she clutched at the couch's back for support. Paige shook her head slowly, then paused as her eyes met Cole's.

"You brought me here?" she asked, clearly addressing him and not the others. He shifted, not eager to admit that her gaze was making him uncomfortable.

"Yeah." he agreed, not daring to blink. "You got hit with an arrow." Still slightly thrown off, feeling unusually penitent though he hadn't done anything wrong, he added loftily, "You're not very careful with your own well being." Obviously quickly recovering, Paige scrunched up her nose, leering at him.

"What're you, my mother?" Offering Phoebe a reassuring smile, she stood without help. After a few moments, Piper seemed to have run out of patience.

"Paige, I'm glad you're alright, but I can see that you're stalling. How is Cole here?" Darting a glance in Leo's direction, she added, "What do _both _of you know?"

Even with Paige and Leo's stories combined, the telling itself didn't take up much time. Neither knew much about the situation, save for what the elders had told each of them, which they had come to realize was roughly the same. Cole himself seemed slightly put off by being asked to remain in the house for so long and spent the entirety of the conversation perched on the edge of his chair, fervently avoiding both Paige and Phoebe's glares.

"What I don't understand," Piper began, still distrustful, "is why any demons would have attacked Cole at all, if he's stripped of all of his powers."

"I doubt that any lower level demons would have known Cole had no powers left." Leo answered reasonably. "He's been gone for nearly four years, no sign of him anywhere. In their thinking, anyone powerful enough to come back to life three times is bound to be a pretty powerful demon. I doubt it even occurred to them that the magic that ressurected him could have been good." Piper seemed irritated with such a well thought out answer. Clearly unable to think of anything else to say, she merely continued to glare at Cole.

"Why are you here, Cole?" It was the first time Phoebe had said a word since Paige had been declared perfectly healthy. Since then, she hadn't left her sister's side, nor had her expression changed in any way at all. Looking at her now, she seemed more a statue than a person.

Finally, Cole's gaze met hers. He eyed her for a moment, glance sweeping over her abundantly. Something in him seemed to tighten, to noticeably tense. Finally he said simply, "Not for you."

The answer, blunt as it had been, seemed more to relieve her stress than to bother her. "Then what?" He sighed, fingering the fine stubble that grazed his jaw.

"For me." They eyed eachother for a moment, and though they were totally still, it reminded Paige forcefully of two lions, circling one another for the kill.

"And that'd be great…" Phoebe hedged. "if it was true…" Scowling, Cole took a step forward.

"_Hey, hey_…." Piper chided anxiously as Phoebe's eyes narrowed. "Calm down, the both of you. Phoebe, sweetie, I know this is…"

"Difficult." Leo finished softly. "But as much as you don't want to admit it, all of you, Cole saved Paige's life." Paige and Phoebe shared a look of mingled irritation and disgust.

"_I _saved _his _first." Paige pointed out testily. "And….why _did _you save me anyway? You could have just let me _die_." Cole looked her over for a moment, then shrugged.

"I don't exactly know…."

* * *

Not the wildest ending, but I wanted to cut this scene off somewhere and start the next one fresh, in a different area of the story, but there was still stuff I needed to attend to. Soooo yeah.


	7. Chapter 7

Hey. Yep, Chapter 6 is up :) This Chapter was pretty quick writing. I tried to fit in a scene with Phoebe and Paige but thought it was more important that she spoke with Kyle (if I was him and i slept with a girl who isnt even my girlfriend, woke up to find the bed empty, and then didnt hear from her for days, i'd be a bit confused, lol) and I also wanted Cole and Kyle to acknowledge eachother (Paige by telling Kyle about Cole, Cole by hearing Paige's semi-teasing, semi-romantic phone call with Kyle) because I think they're going to have some confrontations soon.

* * *

"I still can't _believe_ you didn't tell me _before_!" Phoebe clenched a ribbon of her chocolate hair in her hands, tugging angrily at it.

"_You_ said you weren't _mad_!" Paige snapped back.

"I thought you were going to _die_!" Paige rolled her eyes.

"Well I'm alive, _okay_? And I'm sorry-_again_!" Phoebe drew in a deep breath, steadying herself.

"Anymore secrets you've been keeping from me, Paige?" She hesitated for a moment, teeth grinding nervously up against each other and then,

"No." she promised softly. "Nothing else."

"Paige…" Phoebe started, her voice softer now. "I don't want it to be this way…"

"What way?" Phoebe shook her head.

"You know what I mean." she said flippantly.

"No, but…" Her forehead creased with irritation as the familiar sound of jingling bells ingratiated itself into her mind. "I gotta go Pheebs, can we talk about this later?"

"Paige, I-" her voice broke off angrily as Paige disappeared in a glimmer of blue sparkles.

Immediately on the offensive, tensed for any sign of trouble, she found herself in a familiar, down-town park area, penned in by a white-sanded beach that she'd come to often before to organize her thoughts. Surprised, she glanced up.

"Cole…you called?"

_No sign of him…And no sign of any trouble. What the hell is this all about? _

It wasn't until she'd reached the beach that she spotted him, hands in his pockets, staring out to sea, looking, to her extreme annoyance, very at peace.

_So he calls me here for what? A walk on the beach in my Jimmy Choo's? I'm not a telephone service, goddamnit, I'm a white-lighter. When I get my hands around his throat, I swear I'll-_

"Paige, glad you could come." Sighing to calm herself, she swept her hair back and tried not to look _too_ hostile.

"What do _you_ want?" she asked, failing. Cole chuckled.

"Glad to see me too, I suppose." Paige balled her hands into fists.

"Look, _dude_, I am _not_ in a pleasant _mood_ right now, _alright_? I'm _already_ getting _railed_ at because of you by my _sisters_, _not _to mention that I have a special _friend_ visiting this month. So if you want your head to stay on _top_ of your shoulders, I suggest you stop _calling _me." Cole blinked.

"Are you done?"

"Yes." she huffed, "Yes I am, and _not_ because _you_ said I _should_ be." Restraining a smirk, Cole nodded.

"I see."

"So…what did you call me for?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because-" Paige's dark, hazel-flecked eyes widened as the back pocket of her blue denim jeans vibrated in warning. Holding up an index finger in the universal sign of 'wait', she fished it out and flipped it open, pressing it up against her ear. She winced slightly as she tore at her chandalier earrings in her haste.

"Hello?" she said impatiently, swearing irritably to herself that if it was a solicitor she would have his head on a stick with Cole's before a minute was up.

"Hey, Paige." PMS forgotten, she flushed at the sound of Brody's voice. She and Kyle hadn't spoken to each other since their last encounter…which obviously was not up for discussion right now.

"Hey, Kyle…" she returned, mentally congratulating herself on casually using his first name. Cole narrowed his eyes as she spoke, meeting her gaze with irritable consideration.

"I haven't talked to you. Are you avoiding me?" Turning away, casting her own eyes at the sandy ground, a smiled touched her lips.

"No, definitely not." she promised, still smirking. "In fact…I just _happen_ to be _very_ free tonight…" she trailed off suggestively.

"I wouldn't want to take _advantage_." he taunted. Paige laughed softly, running her fingers through her dark ringlets.

"Please," she murmured, "By all means, do." Kyle chuckled, and she decided that she liked the sound of it, throaty and soft.

"I'll pick you up at eight?"

"Yeah, that's good…Look, I'll…see you soon alright? In a little."

"Sure Paige." The speakers relayed a 'click' as Kyle hung up. Snapping her own phone shut and shoving it back in her pocket, she glanced up at Cole, seemingly in a decidedly better mood than she'd been prior to Kyle's call.

"Who was that?" he asked gruffly. Paige raised an eyebrow, smirking.

"Like it's any of _your_ business." she breathed in her usual, somewhat airy form of sarcasm. "Look, why did you call me here anyway?" Cole scowled, clearly not taken with her forced charm; it was definitely something of an acquired taste.

Spreading his arms wide in a gesture of humorous defeat, he smiled. "Maybe I just wanted to _talk_ to you, Paige."

"_Oh_," Paige exclaimed brightly, with a well done play on sincerity, "Is _that _it, then? _Silly_ me, _I_ thought you were calling for your _white-lighter_, because you actually _needed _her." Cole frowned as Paige added darkly, "This is not a _game_, Cole. I don't _like _it, but I'm your white-lighter, and as long as _you _need _my_ help from any demonic forces, I am very much obliged to help. But, I am _not_ your friend, nor will I _ever_ be. I do _not_ want to talk to you. _Ever_." Cole's features deepened with an unusual solemnity.

"How about a truce, Paige? Maybe _that's_ why I called you here."

"A truce?" Paige echoed incredulously. Cole shrugged helplessly, offering a smirk. "Oh, so you're _sorry _for what you've done then. You're _sorry _about breaking my sister's heart, _sorry _about terrorizing my family, and what else-hm, _I_ don't know-maybe constantly trying to _kill _me?"

"Well when you put it that way, it doesn't make me sound too good, hmm?" he taunted. He was quiet for a moment before adding softly, "Yes, yes I am." Reading the seriousness in his expression, Paige almost blanched. Almost.

"Well you know _what _Cole? Maybe _sorry _just doesn't_ cut _it." Cole opened his mouth to speak, but Paige cut him off. "It's already seven. I have a date to get ready for." Smiling and waving in a patronizing way, she added a haughty, "Sayonara", as she orbed out.

"What's wrong, Paige?" Paige glanced up, thin fingers still wrapped around the curving stem of her wine glass, one that held nothing but pure, mineral water without even a slight trace of alcohol. Kyle knew her well-better than she was sure she could be entirely comfortable with. But it wasn't Kyle that was on her mind right now.

"Nothing" she assured him smilingly. Kyle rolled his eyes.

"Don't give me that crap, Paige. Something's up." Taking a sip from his own wine glass, which did indeed hold a fairly potent brand of vodka, and on the rocks at that, he frowned. This was his fifth glass, if Paige's counting was correct, yet his gaze hardly wavered. If anyone could hold his alchohol well, it was Kyle.

She was silent as he gently deposited his glass on the finger and shifted his weight, leaning across the table to take her hand in his. She hated to admit it, but the night had been romantic, or at least thus far. Kyle's apartment was rather scruffy (although Paige had long ago come to the conclusion that that was practically a 'must' with bachelors) and he'd offered a dinner out. Still, Paige herself not being exactly a neat freak, she hadn't objected to simply spending the night there. The mess itself had come to be very nearly endearing and, aside from all that, the apartment did have a terrace with a table and chairs, where they'd been able to spend the majority of their evening.

Still, despite the ingratiated familiarity of the place, Kyle was new in general. There were so many things about him she didn't know. And although, yes, he understood magic to a certain extent, and yes, she did very much need someone outside of her dysfunctional family to talk to about it with, she wasn't quite sure whether or not she should confide in him. She hardly knew him and yet already he could pick out the emotions in her eyes as though she'd written them out for him on a piece of paper. It was unsettling to say the least. But then, she supposed he was a police agent for a reason. He was definitely intuitive, she'd give him that much. And yet, he had hardly been working with demons his whole life, just common criminals. How far was too far? How would she know if, or when, she crossed the line of exceptability?

"Paige?" Kyle repeated, his eyes narrowing. Sighing, she shook her head, her dark curls bobbing wildly back and forth. This only irritated the situation more. She'd spent hours straightening her hair, even putting up with Phoebe's incessant teasings about how important it was to her that she look good for Kyle, only for it to curl up again in the humidity out on the terrace. She could hardly complain though, seeing as she'd been the one to insist on their staying at home. "You alive in there?" She blinked.

"I don't know, maybe I am, maybe I'm not." To stop herself from saying another word, she pressed the lip of the wine glass to her mouth and drank deeply, downing the whole glass in one gulp and thinking to herself what a good thing it was water. Unlike Brody, she'd never really been able to hold her alcohol well, or at least not in public. Her lips left a dark red, makeup stain where they'd touched on the glass.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Kyle frowned. "You know, you never really make much sense." Paige smiled suggestively.

"Does it really matter?" she asked, eyeing him through her lashes. Hopefully she could steer this conversation out of deep waters. Kyle moved forward, sweeping her bangs out of her face with practiced dexterity, then drew back, his face set with determination.

"I want to know what's bothering you." Dropping the seductive act, she pouted childishly.

"Br-Kyle….look you're right, there's something wrong. But it's not so much magically inclined as…family-related. I'm working on handling it, really, but-"

"But you still don't trust me!" Kyle snapped, throwing up his hands in aggravation. "Don't say it's not true because you just nearly called me Brody again. What do I have to do to get you to trust me? I can touch the book, can't I?" Paige shook her head again, this time in violent refusal and not just to draw herself away from her thoughts.

"It's not like that at all." she promised. "Like I said, it's not really about magic…"

"Tell me."

* * *

That was Chapter 7. Hope you liked it :) Any suggestions are very, very welcome (including any plot-twist/sub-plot ideas XD because I'm not much of a planner so I'm still not sure where this story is going) Alos any grammar/spelling corrections because the spell check is broken on MS Word and I'm sort of lazy about reading it through for mistakes of that sort when I just feel like writing. If you like it OR if you didn't like it, rate and review :) I'm not one of those crazies who's going to threaten you if you don't, I'd just loove to hear your opinions. Thanks for reading in advance :)


	8. Chapter 8

Okay, yeah Chapter 7 and 8 up in the same day? *collective gasp* Am I magical? Yes, yes I am. So, yeah there's a lot of different POV's in this one (I believe three?) As always Paige's was the most fun to write? I'm actually watching Charmed as I write this (because I'm such a geeky fan and have all 8 disc sets) and was watching the few episodes where the Avatars create Utopia but then the girls have to realize it's not what they think it is and that they've taken free will. Watching Paige cry over Brody's body always makes me just totally break down. So even though Kyle wasn't originally gunna have a big part in this story, I sort of began to fit him in more. Now I'm even more confused about the plot than ever.

* * *

Cole wrung his hands frustratedly as he paced the length of his brand new apartment, one far surpassing the size of his last one. He'd bought it furnished, thought it hadn't saved much trouble in the end. The furnishings had been shabby and artless for his taste, and it hadn't been long before he'd torn it up and redone it. The penthouse suite was the highest atop a sprawling mansion-sized apartment building.

Painted a warm cream color, the main entrance was very nearly remnant of a Grecian temple. In the parlor, as well as in the master bedroom, the color scheme was crimson and pale gold, an elegant color combination that he'd always held something of an affinity for.

He leaned back against his couch, cushioning his head in his hands. Everything was going haywire. He hadn't intended the others to know yet, just Paige. Now, all three of the witches knew that he was alive, and he was relatively sure each was suspicious, as well as their white-lighter.

"You should never have revealed yourself to them. The youngest would not have told for a long time for fear of upsetting her sisters, you could have had more time to prepare." Cole jumped up, unusually flustered.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he snapped angrily. Flicking his wrist, all of the draperies closed themselves, the locks clicking on each door in turn. "Paige or Leo could drop in at any moment!" The seer bowed her head in apology, her thick black hair bobbing in silky waves.

This new seer had not been easy to find. There was a shortage of them since his old one had died, or at least a shortage of those who truly possessed the sight. This one was middle-aged, not as young as the others, and had more of a gift as well. She'd been useful to him thus far, and was far more polite than his last seer had been, most likely because he had taken care to warn her of her precarious position. If she failed, he would have no qualms about destroying her in the hopes of finding one more trustworthy. Clearly, she valued her life.

"My apologies, my lord." she said quickly, words slipping over one another in her hurry to appease him. "I was merely worried. If the witches suspected that you planned to destroy them, they would vanquish you themselves." Clenching his hands into fists, he sighed.

"Yes, that could be a problem. I'm more worried about upsetting the balance I've found with the Elders. With the powers I've been acquiring, I've earned one that allows me to cloak private conversations such as these from them, but if they are ever trying to listen in and find that they can't, they may begin to wonder why." The seer nodded in understanding.

"What has Barbas said of your alliance?" she asked, her voice soft and thoughtful.

"Barbas is an old fool." Cole griped, comfortable with saying whatever he liked beneath the cloak he had laid out to protect the conversation from prying eyes. "He still hasn't forgiven the girls for overcoming him. All he wants is vengeance." The seers disarming, white-gray eyes narrowed.

"And what do you want, my lord?" Fingering the creases in his shirt, he finally provided,

"I want them dead for what they've done to me." At a doubtful glance from the seer, he added, "Phoebe as well, perhaps especially. But I don't want it done clumsily. I want this to stick. And for that to work, I need to ingratiate myself into their inner circle. I need them to trust me again, or at least one of them. And I need Barbus to realize this so that he can be put to use, instilling in them a paranoia that will keep them from doubting where my loyalties lie." The seer bowed her head in agreement, then glanced up curiously.

"My lord, I can only imagine that you intend to use Phoebe to gain entrance to their alliance, perhaps with the aid of a love spell of some sort. I feel it is my duty to warn you against this." Cole raised an eyebrow, calmly enough to avoid showing that he was perplexed.

"Why? It must be the clearest path to the Charmed One's centerfold. Phoebe is the most vulnerable with me, the most willing to trust me and believe that I don't mean her harm."

"Yes, that's true." the seer agreed patiently, "but Paige's resolve has been weakened by your rescuing her. She cannot understand why you didn't leave her to die. And though her sisters believe you had something to do with her being shot, she knew that it couldn't have been you, she saw the dark-lighter shoot the arrow. She trusts you more."

It was clear from the way that the seer spoke that she was just as curious as to why Cole had bothered to save Paige. If Cole had left Paige in the alleyway, the dark-lighter posion would have found its way into her bloodstream and had her killed within seconds. Even after she'd been discvoered, Phoebe and Piper would have had no way to trace the death back to Cole. She was a white-lighter, shot by a dark-lighter arrow. It was self-explanatory. And even if they had questioned the dark-lighter's motives, it would never have led back to Cole. Besides the fact that Cole truly _hadn't_ ordered the dark-lighter's attack on Paige, he would have been the last person to come to mind. They'd never have even known he was alive. And killing Paige off would have weakened the Charmed ones off so thoroughly that killing them would probably not have even required insinutating himself into their family.

"I want the three of them to die simultaneously," he lied easily, covering up for his own confusion. "Besides, if Barbas had known that I killed one of the three without him, he would have been angry with me. I might have lost his alliance."

The seer seemed satisfied with his answer, but Cole himself wasn't. He knew that it wasn't true. He was hardly bothered about losing his alliance with Barbas. There were plenty of other ways to instill fears in the sisters, and just as many to make them paranoid. As for the Charmed Ones dying together, he wasn't even sure he wanted them dead at all. He wasn't really as angry at them as he should have been. He'd been evil, and vanquishing evil was what they did, emotional connections or no. Unlike Barbas, he wasn't stupid enough to think it had been anything personal. Perhaps Phoebe had loved him once, but the vanquish had only been a matter of time, ticking down the clock from the moment they'd first met. Still, he didn't understand.

_Why the hell didn't you just let her die? _

* * *

By the time Paige had finished with her story, starting with Prue and ending with being saved by her sister's demonic ex-husband, Kyle was wearing an expression of general disbelief. She restrained a smile at the innocent glow that seemed to hang about him when he wasn't focusing on magic. Despite the fact that Kyle was three years older than herself, she though Kyle probably had a lot more to learn than he'd have liked to admit.

"So…so wait." Kyle spoke up, each word punctuated by a pause of confused thought. "Your sisters don't know you can talk with Prue?"

"No." Paige told him, suddenly fierce. "And they can't ever."

"And Cole….This guy used to date your sister?" Kyle tried to catch Paige's eye but she glanced away, her eyes sweeping the expanse of rooftops and bright lights that constituted the view from Kyle's apartment building.

"Actually, they were married." she said into her drink. Kyle cracked a smile.

"You didn't like him then, and you don't like him now, right?" Paige returned his smile, albeit weakly. Shifting in her seat, she finally turned her full gaze onto him. They locked eyes as she sighed, toying at her bottom lip with her teeth.

"That's just the thing." she spoke up finally, reluctant. "He saved my _life_." Kyle rolled his eyes, appearing slightly mutinous now.

"From what you've told me about it, there was definitely something in it for him." Paige squinted, her full lips parting.

"I'm not so sure…"

* * *

"I know, but can we _trust _him?" The old couch sagged under Piper's weight as she kicked her feet up on it, glancing around at the familiar attic room until her eyes came to rest on her younger sister. Phoebe shook her head almost instantaneously, her shoulder-length curls following her wildly as she did.

"Of course not, Piper do you even have to ask?" she asked, turning over another page in the Book of Shadows.

"You won't find him in there, Pheebs." Piper told her, showing an ample amount of strain as the lines on her face stretched taut with concern and exhaustion.

"There's got to be something!" she snapped, more anxious than angry.

"Phoebe…" Piper began softly, "Maybe you're overreacting just a _teensy_ bit, hmm, what d'ya say?"

"I'm _overreacting_?" Phoebe echoed, flipping yet another page in the book as she spoke. Finding nothing, she glanced up at her sister. They locked eyes as she continued. "_You're_ underreacting. Look what he did to Paige!" Piper sighed, fingering a thread in the couch that had come up.

"You can't prove that." she said reasonably. "The odds are all for him telling the truth…I mean, everything checked out." Piper held up a fist, a finger popping up for each additional reason. "One, the Elders were the one who brought him back to life in the first place. Two, in order to have hurt Paige, he'd have had to set the dark-lighters on them, in which case he'd have to be an extremely powerful demon. Three, as much as I hate the Elders, I don't think they're _stupid _enough to have ressurected Cole with his powers, and there's no way he could have gotten them. Four-"

"Piper!" Phoebe interuppted testily.

"Oh, face it Pheebs, Cole is an innocent now. The Elders wouldn't have assigned Paige to him otherwise. And much as I hate to say it, we should be feeling pretty greatful to him right now. He saved her life." Phoebe buried her head in her hands, her cheeks brushing up against the faded sheets of parchment that the book consisted of. When she glanced up again, smoothing back her hair, her lips were pursed, her eyes determined.

"I…You're right. It makes sense. It's just…it's…hard." Piper nodded sympathetically. Standing, she crossed the room in three long strides, her stilettos clacking loudly on the wooden floors. As she pulled Phoebe into a hug, the cloying scent of warm vanilla filtered past her, her sister's favorite perfume. Smiling somewhat shakily, she drew back, patting tears from her sister's cheeks with the edge of her sleeve.

"I know, Pheebs, I know…How can we trust him? After all this time? But…I think we have to…for Paige."

* * *

So that was Chapter 8. And like I said at the top of the page, I'm sort of lost in my main plot here. So any opinions? Who do you guys like better? Cole or Kyle? I'm a Cole fan when it comes down to choosing between the two in general. But when it comes to canon, I like Paige and Kyle best. I hated Richard Montana. I thought he was just ugh...a jerk. I liked Glenn a bit. But he didn't get enough air time for me to be PaigexGlenn shipper. And I like Henry too, I gotta say, and they're real cute together. Problem is that it seems like their reasoning for Kyle and Paige not being able to be together (Kyle being a white-lighter? I mean c'mon, they can't work around that? Leo is a white-lighter and he and Piper have fricking kids and Paige can't even occasionally SEE Kyle?) is just cheap. And so sticking Henry in there without her even having a second thought about Kyle just seems a bit rude to me. And I love Cole, my favorite male chara. Which is ironic, Paige being my favorite female one, considering that they DESPISE eachother. So anyway, poll KYLE OR HENRY?


	9. Chapter 9

So here's Chapter 9. As a writer, I definitely appreciate this chapter. It was fun to write. It's not much of a variant from where this story's been going so far, no major surprises, we're still easing into things. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

* * *

Paige blinked her eyes open, the messy room coming into bleary focus around her. Moaning tiredly, she stumbled out of bed.

_Where am I? _Frowning, she glanced around, comprehending things more slowly than normal. The room was covered in clothes from top to bottom; surprisingly, it was even worse than her own. _Kyle_, she realized immediately, cracking a sleepy smirk.

Her smile faded as she turned back to face him. He was asleep on the opposite side of the bed, his arms stretched out to cushion either side if his cheek, feet hanging over the side of the bed. He was almost…sweet, like a little boy who wasn't yet comfortable in a grown man's body. Remembering the night before, she pressed an irritated hand to her forehead. This _had_ to stop happening. She hardly knew him, yet this was the second time they'd slept together in a week.

After nearly ten minutes of looking around for her clothes, and several instances in which Kyle very nearly woke up, she conceded to snatch up one of his collared work shirts. It was long enough that the hem brushed up against her knees, while the cuffs of the sleeves hid her small hands from view. He had so many, he probably wouldn't notice she'd taken this one. Probably.

Grabbing up the rest of her things, or at least those that she could find, she cast one last concerned look in Kyle's direction before orbing out. She had a sneaking suspicion that Kyle would be angry when he woke up, perhaps because she'd be leaving him with an empty bed for the second time that week.

She was feeling even more guilty as she orbed into her room, but the guilt was soon replaced as two hands wrapped themselves around her throat and squeezed. Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, Paige let out a strangled gasp as she was jerked roughly backwards.

"So_ you're _the little witch I'm being put to all this trouble for."

* * *

"I don't understand." The seer mused, balancing her chin in her cupped hands as she eyed her master. "You need her alive for now. Why send that Scather demon after her?"

"Because," he answered coolly. "When I come to her rescue, _once again_, she's going to be finding it even harder to believe that _I'm_ the one trying to kill her, understand?" A dark smile touched on the seer's angular face, her luminous eyes twinkling.

"Yes." she promised simply, "I understand _very _well."

* * *

"Hold still!" The demon snapped, tightening his grip on her throat.

"Piper, Phoebe!" she choked out, "Leo!" Her tooth knocked up against her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood as he yanked her backwards, shoving her down onto the floor, and held her down with a foot pressed to her chest. Her hands flew to her neck, touching on the red lines that had been engraved in her neck by the sharp nails of the Scather demon.

Leaning over, the demon smirked mercilessly as he pulled a clear, crystal pendant up over his head. Shaking his hair back, he took the diamond shaped necklace into his hands and took hold of her wrist, pulling it up towards him.

A familiar jingling sounded in her head as he took up the pendant, sharp-side facing her, and dragged it up the length of her palm. She winced at the pain as the clear-colored crystal absorbed her blood, then began to glow a vivid red. Seemingly satisfied, the demon tossed the pendant back over his head, shrugging his shoulders so that it fell where it had been before, pressed up against his chest.

Even as she attempted it, she knew that orbing was out of the question. Still, she tried, and experienced a sharp slice of pain for her troubles. It was clear that the source of the problem was the little crystal, though how it worked exactly, she wasn't sure.

Another length of jingling bells assailed her and even in lieu of her painful position, she managed to roll her eyes.

_C'mon Cole, of all the timing. _

Snarling as she was yanked up by the hair, which she'd just had done, she kicked out, her bare feet hardly even brushing up against him. "LEO!"

She groaned as another well-aimed kick caught her in the chest. "_What, dare _I ask, do you even want from me?" she griped through gritted teeth, rubbing at one of the sore spots. Any ordinary demon who had a Charmed one in the position that she was in would have already killed her. Not that she wasn't glad to be alive, but what the hell was with him? Even if he needed her alive, why was he keeping her in her room, powerless?

_Wow, hell do you know how to jinx yourself, _she thought gruffly as the low-level demon whipped out an athame, almost as though he'd been reading her thoughts. _How the hell am I supposed to get myself out of this one? Goddamnit Leo, where are you when I need you? _

"Upstairs!" a deep voice shouted, followed by another jingle. The jingling was so painfully present in her mind she hardly noticed when the demon sliced his knife down the length of her right arm. As the bells faded though, her head snapped back as she let out an angry moan of pain.

"What, so you're gunna _torture_ me, now?" she demanded, ripping her hand out of his grasp. "What the hell do you want?"

She let out a sigh of relief as the door to her room swung open, but her features quickly twisted into that of surprise, her eyebrows raising so high they nearly touched her hair-line, eyes widening, full lips parting. "_What_ _the_-" she broke off in disbelief as Cole pushed his way into the room.

"Drop the athame!" The demon whirled around, then smirked. At Cole's mutinous glare, his grin faded quickly, and he pressed the athame's tip up against the hollow of Paige's throat. She drew back as Cole's bottom lip curled angrily.

Darting forward, he pulled the demon into a head-lock, snapping his head up. "Drop the damn knife." Paige blinked as she scrambled into a sitting position. The demon dropped the knife and Cole lunged for it as soon as it left his hand, his fingers curling protectively around it.

As Cole raised the athame, Paige jumped up. Hands shaking as pain surged through her, she yanked at the crystal that hung on a string around his neck. He screamed with pain as it came off in her hands. She hugged it to her as the athame plunged, finding its place between the slats of his ribcage.

"What the-What the hell are you doing? We had a-" the demon broke off with an agonized scream as he errupted in flames.

Just as his last screams tapered off, his body disintegrating in place, a mess of blue-white sparkles materialized in mid-air. "Well it's about time!" Paige snapped, still slightly shell-shocked.

Leo's eyes darted from the bleeding cuts that peppered Paige's body to Cole, to the ashes on the floor and back again. "Wh-wha…Paige?" Paige rolled her eyes, rubbing at one of her bleeding gashes as she retreated onto the bed.

"Where have you _been_? I've been calling you! And _where _are Phoebe and Piper?" Leo winced, clearly ashamed.

"I just…There were so many people calling. And I had to drop the boys at magic school…" Paige swept his excuses away with a hand.

"It's fine. I'm fine. It was just…weird. I don't know what _that _was about. And my powers…" Clearly eager to help to make up for abandoning her, Leo spoke up quickly.

"The crystal, break it." Nodding, she drew her arm up high before unclasping her hands. The crystal broke with an earsplitting crack and Paige glowed warmly as her powers shifted hands. She sighed with relief as she met Cole's eyes.

"What….were you doing here?" she asked softly. Leo watched blankly as Cole smirked.

"I've been calling for you all day." he told her. "Didn't you hear? I figured I'd just…stop by. No one was home…The door was open…" Leo's face creased slightly, almost as though with embarassment.

"I orbed out quick…I could swear I locked the door…" Cole shrugged, eyeing him politely, with a barely noticeable inkling of patronizing. As his eyes met Paige's his smile faded. "You should probably heal her." he advised, clearly addressing Leo though his eyes never left hers. Leo's eyes widened as he rushed towards her.

As the full feeling sunk in, Paige sat up more straightly, trying to keep her thoughts from the pain. She had been cut on both arms and legs, as well as her thighs and cheeks. A bold line of a darkened tone of her skin color ringed her throat like a warning sign. Her lip was fat and bleeding.

Cole's eyes followed her curiously up and down and it wasn't until Leo had nearly finished healing her that she remembered what she was wearing. Wrinkling her nose at Leo, even as she directed an irritated scowl in Cole's direction, she crossed her arms in front of her chest to shield herself as much as possible.

"Uh…nice night, I'm guessing, hmm Paige?" Cole tried. Paige narrowed her eyes as she ran a hand through her curly pony-tail. Try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to be angry with him, or even to resent him for saving her life, once _again, _as it ordinarily would have. After all, it was hard to be angry with Cole when she was angrier with herself. She'd skipped out on Kyle-again. If she hadn't, none of this would ever have happened. She would be in his arms now, and she would never have had to be babied into submission by Cole Turner, of all people.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." she said softly, throwing him a testy smile over her shoulder. He grinned back in supplication before shifting his gaze to meet Leo's.

"Leo," he drawled, "Would you mind if I spoke with Paige alone?" Leo's brows wrinkled with heavy confusion as he turned to Paige, gauging her reaction to the question for an answer. Finally, wrinkling her nose in confusion, she shrugged. Leo smiled tentatively before nodding,

"Sure." and disappearing in a cloud of electric blue sparks.

Almost instinctively, Paige found herself backing up on her own bed until she was leaning into the wall.

"So," she began, trying for a lightness she didn't quite feel. "Uh…"

Cole surprised her by settling onto the bed, too close for comfort. He fished around in his pocket for a moment and she could swear she saw it glow faintly. She pushed the thought away, dismissing it as paranoia, as he produced a lollipop. Holding it gracefully between his index and middle fingers, he offered it to her. She eyed him cautiously for a moment before giving in; there was very little that could keep Paige from a lollipop once it'd been presented to her.

"Orange Twist." he told her as she unrwrapped it. "Your favorite." She drew the lollipop up to her lips, then paused, raising an eyebrow.

"How do _you_ know that?" she hedged, twirling the lollipop between her fingers. He shrugged, his wicked grin lingering.

"Maybe I paid more attention to you than you thought." he suggested coolly. She fingered the stem of the lollipop for a moment longer, turning over the unsettling thought in her mind before conceding to pop it in her mouth.

* * *

So yeah, for those of you who haven't figured it out, not only was the scather demon sent after Paige, but so were the dark-lighters that supposedly 'attacked' Cole when he jingled for her. He's trying to save her and be there for her so that she begins to question her initial feelings for him. Hm...anything else to tell? I don't think so. I really hope some people with some time to spare would review my chapter, whether or not they liked it, and tell me your opinions and ideas for the story. Thanks in advance for reading :)


	10. Chapter 10

Hey, Chapter 10 is up now :) I really do like this chapter. Other than Cole of course, Barbas is probably one of my favorite characters to work with. He's so mocking and sardonic, and his voice kinda creeps me out o.O Which makes sense. He IS the demon of fear. So, yeah, I'm playing more on paranoia than fear right now, but I think fear will come soon. And there's quite a few scenes in this chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

"I should probably tell you why I'm here." Paige gave her lollipop another long twirl in her mouth before removing it just long enough to agree. He sighed. "I can see that you don't trust me." he said finally. Paige winced.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked, her voice muffled as she spoke around the lollipop stick. Cole cracked a careful smile.

"Look…I don't know what I have to do to help you to know that you can trust me now. But…I just want my life back, no demons getting in the way, no crazy powers…just me." His words were remnant of something Kyle had said earlier about trust-about her trust. Was she just being paranoid? Was it time that she offered him the benefit of the doubt? After all this was the second time he'd rescued her from certain demise. And hell wasn't that ironic, the charge rescuing his white-lighter?

"It's not that I don't _trust _you." she mumbled, chewing at her lip thoughtfully. "I just…it's hard, you've got to understand that." As she eyed him, the familiar feeling of disgust washed over her.

"I don't expect you to _like_ me." he said wryly, "Just to realize I'm not trying to _kill _you anymore." Paige narrowed her eyes.

"Uhuh, where have I heard _that_ one before? I can count on both hands how many times you've tried to knock me dead."

"Well how about this, Paige? Maybe I've _changed_."

* * *

Phoebe leaned back on her bed, cradling her head in her hands. She had an intense pony-tail head-ache from the tight bun she'd donned for work that morning, but she had a feeling there was more to her migraine than just that.

Cole was back-Cole Turner, her ex-husband, ex-lover, ex-closest friend. She hadn't been so confused since they'd vanquished him, a vanquish that she'd thought would finally stick. Apparently, that had been too much to hope for.

But why was he back? The first thing that had come to mind was that, as per-usual, it was her that he wanted. After all, hadn't that always been the way? And right on the spot, as soon as she'd met his cold, blue eyes, she'd promised herself that if that was what he wanted, she would make no qualms about giving it to him. The last thing she wanted was to put her family through another hell-esque period of pulling all-nighters testing vanquishing potions on samples of his blood and skimming blearily through the Book of Shadows at every available moment. Worse still had been the no-longer-so-slim possibility that in Cole's manic quest to regain her love, one of her sister's would be killed in the process.

And yet…somehow she wasn't as sure anymore. Cole had been in her contact for weeks now, since they'd met up when he brought Paige to the house, and the supposedly inevitable denoument in which he magically disposed of her sisters and forced her into marriage had never come.

And that was another thing-why had Cole even thought to bring Paige home in the first place? She had thought and re-thought any possible logical reasonings behind the action for over a week now and come up short. True, there was the possibility that Cole had ordered the dark-lighter attack on Paige's life, as well as the possibility that he'd simply found a way to get his hands on some lower-level dark-lighter's bow and arrow. Those simple theories alone were nearly enough to be used as incriminating evidence as far as she was concerned, or at least they would have been if Paige hadn't been saved.

It seemed far too circuitous of a plan even for the meticulous Cole, having Paige shot at and poisoned, then quickly bringing her home. When Leo had begun to heal her, it'd taken nearly no time at all. That could only mean that the posion hadn't had much time to find its way into the blood-stream, which clearly pointed to the fact that Cole had rushed to take her to the manor as soon as she'd been shot.

That was what she couldn't wrap her head around-that he'd taken her home at all. He'd had the perfect alibi. Whether or not he'd orchestrated it, Paige had been shot with a dark-lighter arrow. If he'd left her to die, the odds were that she would have been gone long before anyone found her, and that she wouldn't have been able to breathe a word. They would never have even known Cole was alive, let alone a possible suspect of the killing.

There was no possible explanation for why he'd saved Paige…none at all. Well, there was, of course, the off chance that Cole had arranged for her murder but hadn't been able to go through with it because of Phoebe herself. After all, it _had_ happened before, as Paige had reminded her stubbornly so many times. In the end, he'd given in and saved her from the vampires as well as the power broker's infection.

Still, though the two had locked eyes when he dropped Paige at the manor, the usual spark had gone. Something told her that he was nearly as done as she was, and that while she was sure pain lingered for him just as it did for her, there was nothing left for them, nothing at all.

She leapt up at a knock on the door. She was still breathing in shallow gasps when the door swung open. Piper raised an eyebrow as Phoebe managed a choked,

"Give me a little warning next time!"

"I knocked." Piper pointed out as she pressed a mug of something steaming into her sister's hands. "How much more warning do you need?"

Phoebe took a sip, then made a face, wrinkling her nose as she struggled to swallow it. "What the hell is this?" she asked, choosing to ignore Piper's well-founded question.

"Chamomile tea." Piper supplied, chuckling.

"Ew, that herbal crap, like Grams used to make?" Phoebe brought the mug up to her lips, then sipped again, this time more hesitantly.

"It's not herbal _crap_." Piper corrected, "It's an herbal _remedy, _and Grams was right, it's very good for stress." Phoebe offered a tentative smile as Piper added softly, "That's why I thought you might need it." Phoebe acknowledged the words with a sigh before downing a considerably larger gulp of the stuff. It burned as it tunneled down her throat. The taste was clearly an acquired one. While it was thick and creamy like tea, there were hints of the herbal components like sage, cinnamon, and ginger root.

After briefly entertaining the idea of lying, Phoebe decided it wasn't worth it.

"I guess you thought right." she agreed reluctantly, "I just…I know we talked about this already, that we'd do this for Paige. I know that he saved her life once already and-"

"Twice." Piper cut her off quietly. Phoebe glanced up, frowning.

"What? What happened to her? Why didn't you tell me? Is she okay? She's going to get herself _killed_ one day!"

"She almost did." Piper pointed out, before adding, "What's with you? We nearly get ourselves killed every day. I believe the more appropriate question here is 'Why did Cole save her'?" When Phoebe said nothing, Piper heaved a sigh before continuing. "It was a lower-level demon. He was waiting for her when she orbed home from Kyle's, and he pinned her down with an athame."

"Why didn't she just orb out?" Phoebe asked, more coolly now that she'd managed to recover herself somewhat.

"Leo said the demon had some sort of a crystal pendant, one that holds magic inside it when it comes into contact with a witch's blood. He said it's very commonly seen with upper-level demons, but not with lower-levels like the scather demon that attacked Paige. He has to be working for someone else." Phoebe wrinkled her nose in thought as Piper frowned.

"Cole_ saved _her Phoebe, if anything we should be…." she winced as she finished softly, "grateful." The sisters eyed one another carefully for a moment.

_Maybe she's right, maybe you're over-reacting, _a vaguely familiar voice drawled in her head. _Maybe you're just touchy because of what the two of you have been through together, but he saved your sister's life. Twice. And isn't that what matters the most, what you _fear _the most? The death of your baby sister? _

Phoebe drew in a frazzled breath. It was true, every single word of it. Cole was Cole, and he could be trusted to play the part of the suspect in any situation. But much as he still seemed evil to her, it was impossible. He was good now, besides the fact that he was powerless.

Or was he? If an upper-level demon had ordered the attack on Paige, then logical reasoning pointed to Cole, didn't it?

Phoebe struggled to regain her flow of thought as the voice eased itself into her mind again.

_This isn't about you anymore, Phoebe, _the voice taunted, its tone patronizing and soft, like a baby's sweet lullaby with a dark twist. _Don't be so selfish. This is about Paige; poor, little, un-protected Paige. Maybe it's you yourself that should be the suspect here. Her life was threatened twice, with no one to come to her aid. No one but Cole. Where were you? _

Phoebe's world spun around her and she pressed both hands to the mattress one either side of her, steadying her body as she wished she could steady her wild breathing.

"Phoebe, what's wrong?" Piper darted forward, taking her sister's shaking hands in her own calm ones. "What-" she broke off as a voice snaked it's way into her thoughts, beginning with a high, cold laugh that sent chills down her spine.

_Look at your little sister, at poor little Phoebe. Maybe she's finally lost it. Maybe Cole's returned one too many times. He's safe now, powerless. But she can't tell, she's to far gone. She can't trust anyone, not anymore. You need to protect her, keep her shielded from everything. She doesn't understand. Cole is good now. She's just a frightened little girl…Paige is safe. It's Phoebe you should be worrying about…Phoebe…_

"Phoebe." Piper's shaken voice cut tentatively through the silence. Phoebe blinked like a bat in sun-light as her eyes met her sister's worried ones. "Phoebe, I'm so sorry." Piper murmured, pulling her younger sister into a hug.

Too tired to be very shocked, Phoebe complied willingly. "Everything is going to be fine." Piper promised as she ran her un-manicured nails through her sister's tangle of brown hair, "Everything is going to be just fine."

* * *

"My patience is wearing thin, Balthazar." Cole rolled his eyes in disgust.

"I have _not_ been Balthazar for a long time." he corrected, meeting Barbas's own eyes with a touch of disdain.

"You've been Balthazar, the source of all evil, human, invincible. So, pray tell, what are you _now_?" Barbas ticked off lazily, seemingly unimpressed and playing a good job of it. Or at least he would have been if Cole hadn't been able to sense the fear in every shift of his partner's movement.

"Just _Cole_." he promised, cracking a bitter smile. "Do you have any idea what it's like to be overcome by so many different thoughts?" An energy ball materialized in his right hand, a fire ball in his left. He proceeded to toss them artfully back and forth as he spoke. "To have a stranger in your body? No, you've never had to deal with that. Neither has Phoebe. So she couldn't have known how hard I fought to love her….to keep her safe from myself…from the source." He clenched his hands into thick fists and both the energy and fire balls sputtered into non-existence, plunging both demons into darkness. "Now I'm the one in control. I don't love her anymore. I'm the one in my head now, and for never realizing the pain they've put me through, I'm going to kill every single last one."

Barbas grinned, exposing a set of chipped and yellowing teeth. "The Charmed Ones have a habit of eliciting grudges." he mused, taking Cole's hands into his own and casting his eyes down towards them, his own grungy fingers rubbing circles in Cole's clean ones. "Alas, it doesn't seem as though we're getting anywhere does it now? _I_ want the Charmed Ones dead, _you_ want the Charmed Ones dead. Ah, why don't we _kill _them."

Cole snatched his hands back from Barbas, his upper lip curling in revulsion as he wiped them off on his pants. "Allow me to remind you that you've failed before. You need me, or you'll fail again. Some things, the better things, take time. You've been alive far longer than I have, yet you still haven't learned the most basic principles." Barbas's eyes narrowed as he scowled. "I need time to gain their trust, and you must continue to work on them, feeding into them what they need to feel for me to re-gain entrance. Piper, she has to believe that Phoebe is so distraught that she's gone mad with my return. Only when she sees Phoebe herself as crazed will she be convinced to regard me with trust. And Phoebe herself, she needs to believe that I have Paige's best interests at heart. She needs to believe that I'm saving her sister because I care about her, and that she's over-reacting, thinking that I could have any part in the attacks on her seeing as I was always there to pull her out of it."

"And Paige?" Barbas questioned wearily, running a hand through his greasy, gray hair. Cole shrugged, an amused glint in his pale eyes.

"Well she just has to like me, doesn't she?"

* * *

Yeah :) Here you go, Chapter 10. Fun will start soon, I promise. Rate and review even if you weren't a fan :)


	11. Chapter 11

Hey, Chapter 11 :) This is, I think, very much longer than other Chapters. It's sort of building up too the next thing that's going too happen. I think on Word this is like...two pages more than usual. So have at it guys :)

* * *

"Hey, Missy Paige, what're you up to?" Paige flopped down onto the couch next to her sister, rubbing at her sore stomach.

"In the process of dying." she said bitterly, "And you?" Phoebe raised an eyebrow.

"It's been seven days! You've still got cramps?" Paige tossed her a look that clearly validated her question.

"Are you kidding? I'm practically _hemorhhaging_." Phoebe laughed lightly as she motioned for Paige to lean over. As Paige let out an angry, pained sigh, Phoebe proceeded to rub circles into her sister's back with her palm.

"This is what Prue said mom used to do for her when she didn't feel good." she told Paige softly.

"Was she sick for the same reason?" Paige grunted, unwilling to admit that she _did _feel slightly better than she had a moment earlier, if not less tense at the very least.

"Prue was seven when mom died. Something tells me _no_." Paige smiled, though mention of Prue was making her uncomfortable recently. As ever, she had begun to wonder if with-holding her new-found existence from them was such a good idea. By this time, she knew even Prue was beginning to wonder where the hold up was. As much as she had nagged Paige never to let slip that she was back, Paige was given the distinct feeling that Prue had thought Paige would slip up and tell before long. Then again, she couldn't exactly blame her for being so eager to see her sisters after being kept from them for so long. No, she could. At this point, Paige could blame Prue for just about anything, as long as she put her mind to it.

The more she followed Prue down memory lane, the less she felt like a part of the Halliwell family. Earlier on, it had been easier to ignore the tiny sense of forboding that constricted her whenever Prue told some sweet, sordid memory of childhood. After all, she'd been justifiably preoccupied what with Cole's unprecedented return (Alright, it hadn't exactly been _unprecedented_, but it had certainly been _unexpected) _and as such hadn't had as much time to analyze her relationship with her sisters.

Now, though, contact with Cole had been much lighter. They had mantained brief encounters throughout the last week, mostly when Paige had come to check in on him from time to time. Demon break-ins had been virtually non-existent though, and so the two hadn't had any need to spend much time together, or at least not since the long-past Scather demon incident of the week before.

So now, she had plenty of time to think about Prue; about Prue and Phoebe and Piper, and how quickly her sisters would trade her in if they knew Prue was still alive. They didn't even know she was around yet, and Paige already felt replaced.

"You alright, Paige?" Phoebe's brow wrinkled with concern. "I-" she broke off as the doorbell rang, one, long, clean-cut _ding_. Paige rose automatically, but Phoebe pressed her down with either hand resting on her shoulders.

"I'll get it, sweetie. You…" she eyed Paige who was glaring up at her, her hair bedgraggled, her lips puffy, her cheeks red and flushed. "Uh…rest." Paige leered as Phoebe offered a flickering smile over her shoulder and hurried to get the door.

"The time to strike is now. This is just what you've been waiting for, isn't it Barbas?" Cole caught at his reluctant partner's chin and tipped his face up so that their eyes were level. "I've invested far too much in this. Don't fail me." Barbas smiled patronizingly, spreading his arms wide.

"This has nothing to do with me, _Cole_." he answered smoothly, stressing Cole's name with an exaggeration that was clearly intended to mock him. "The only way this will work is if you've gotten one of the sisters to trust you, to _care _for you. If _you_ failed, I can't possibly be held accountable, now _can _I?"

"If not Paige, then we can surely count on Phoebe." Cole snapped, and it was clear that Barbas's words had gotten to him. He was anxious, and it showed.

Cole would much rather have put more time into gaining the girl's trust, finding reassurance that his death would be of great concern to at least one of them. Initially, he'd held his hope in Phoebe, but now he felt that he might have had better luck with Paige. Much as he knew she hated him, he'd underestimated her determination to protect her charges, and as such to put aside their differences to care for him as she would anyone else she'd been assigned. Cole thought that, with more effort, she might actually come to have truly cared for him.

Now though, he could only guess at her feelings for him which he judged to be, at best, just nearly a reserved friendship.

Phoebe was unreadable. Still, it had always been Cole who had clung desperately to their relationship, not Phoebe. And seeing as Cole had finally broken that seal, finally gained the closure he'd so needed, he could only imagine how far past love Phoebe would be after all this time, assuming that she was still, as usual, one step ahead of him.

Unfortunately, though, putting more work into his relationships between the sisters, or at least Phoebe and Paige, would have taken much more time, time he couldn't afford if he wished for the impatient Barbas to remain his ally. Barbas was anxious for revenge, had been waiting and plotting and hoping for the death of the Charmed Ones for years. Cole feared that forcing him to wait a moment longer would see to it that Barbas reached his breaking point, and though Cole had often contested that Barbas and his powers were expendable when it came to his plan, both demons knew that neither could function without the other.

"No, I suppose you can't." Cole said evenly, even managing a smile. "But remember that it's you who called for such quick movement. If you had allowed for us to ease into it, take our time…"

"It's possible I'm not as stupid as you believe me to be." Barbas drawled, examining his hand as he brandished it in front of his beady eyes. "Had it occurred to you that drawing out the invevitable, while, yes, it _may_ lead to the sisters being more trustful of you, would also leave the Elders ample time to discover you're not as powerless as you were when they ressurected you. Power brokers are not rare in the Underworld, nor do they exactly drive a hard bargain." He laughed bitterly. "When they realize that your shielding your conversations from them, they will begin to question you, and the Charmed Ones will be alerted immediately."

"Yes." Cole lied through gritted teeth. "It had, but it was a risk I was willing to take." Barbas grinned well-naturedly, though the sight itself was not a pleasant one.

"A risk far heavier than the threat that the Charmed Ones may not care for you enough for you to be included in their fears of loss. This is a test, besides, nothing more, to see what lengths they will go to to protect you, which are vulnerable to you, don't you agree, Cole?" Cole only frowned.

"We'll see."

"Brody" Phoebe greeted coolly, raising an eyebrow as the door swung open. "To what do we owe this…pleasant surprise." Brody rolled his eyes, smoothing back his tousled hair with a graceful sweep of his hand.

"Phoebe." he acknowledged just as calmly. "Is Paige around?" At this, Phoebe cracked a smile. It faded quickly as she remembered the state Paige was in, wild hair, pink pajamas, and slippers shaped like white rabbits, dark circles lining her eyes.

"Uh…Yeah. Not a good time." she hedged, offering a forced smile.

"Why not?" a smooth voice floated through from the living room. Phoebe glanced around just in time to see Paige moving back from the mirror, swathed in a glow of white-yellow lights. She strode forward and smirked as she met Phoebe's curious gaze.

Instead of the ratty pajamas of a few moments earlier, Paige's attire had been switched for a bright, red, beaded baby-doll, clinging jean capris, and red velvet heels. Tiny red pearls lined the crown of her head, while all of her dark hair had been swept up, coiled and set on her right shoulder. The purple circles had gone from beneath her eyes, which had grown exaggeratedly large in light of the recent addition of black eyeliner and mascara, and sepia and charcoal-colored eyeshadows. Her cheeks were flushed with blush now, not with pain, and her lips were full and bright red with lipstick. It was clear that she'd glamoured herself in the few minutes that she'd been left alone.

"Personal gain, much sis?" Phoebe pointed out, raising an eyebrow. Paige stuck her tongue out at her older sister before turning to Kyle.

"Hello." she breathed, taking his big hands in her small ones. Walking backwards, she led him into the conservatory, then stood on tip-toe to leave a kiss on his cheek. He grinned as he rubbed at the imprint she'd left in lipstick on his face, then frowned, as though he was remembering something important.

"Paige…" he said, almost sternly. Dreading what she knew was coming, she leaned over, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Mhmm Kyle?" she murmured into his chest.

"_Paige." _he repeated wearily. "Not now. You walked out on me. _Again." _Phoebe, lingering in the hallway, cracked an amused smirk.

"Walked out on him in the _bedroom_?" she questioned in her sister's ear. Paige leered at Phoebe, hands on her hips.

"Not _now_ Phoebe." she snapped, flicking her wrist, "Attic!" Paige turned calmly back to Kyle as Phoebe disappeared in a glow of brilliant, blue lights. She smiled tentatively. "Better?" Kyle sighed.

"Paige…I mean…I don't know, is something wrong? You said you wanted a date where….I didn't talk about the Avatars. I get that. _I do_. And I haven't said _one_ word about them, not-" Paige pressed a hand to her forehead.

"No, Kyle, it's not you, it's-"

"Me." Kyle finished wryly. "Yeah."

"Kyle…Ugh." Her hands clenched. "I just have a _lot_ to deal with right now and I-_UGH_" she hissed as the doorbell rang again.

"I _would_ get it, if _I_ hadn't been sent _upstairs_." Phoebe taunted as she descended the staircase.

"You came _back_?" Paige whinged, already heading for the door. "Does the meaning of the word _privacy_ escape your-Oh great. _It's you_." Cole smirked as he leaned back against the door frame.

"Hi to you too, Paige." He nodded in her direction. "Phoebe. And…" Kyle brushed up against Paige's arm as he reached the doorway.

"Agent Brody, FBI" he provided coldly. "And you?" Cole raised an eyebrow.

"Cole Turner" Recognition showed in Kyle's dark eyes as he shot Paige an irritated glance. Phoebe bit at her lip.

"What do you want, Cole?" she asked.

"To check in on all of you." he returned cheerfully. "After all," he added, his light eyes meeting Paige's dark ones, "You all seem to get into a lot of…trouble." A look of pleasant disbelief passed over Paige before she regained her reasoning, narrowing her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, just as Kyle did.

"Oh, that's _real_ nice." he spat, eyeing Cole with disgusted anger. "You're powerless now, aren't you? And you came to _check in_? What would _you_ be able to do to help? There's _something_ up with you." As though she'd been summoned by Kyle's raised voice, high heels clacked against the hard-wood floor and Piper appeared in the entrance hallway, hands on her hips.

"What the _hell _is going _on_ in here?" Ignoring her, Kyle and Cole exchanged another dark, meaningful glance.

"I've got to go, Paige." Kyle said finally, leaning over to peck her on the cheek. It was clear that he'd forgotten all about the reason he'd come, and how pissed he'd been with her earlier. "I'll be back. To _check in_." he added, a note of mocking in his voice.

"Wait" Paige shouted, leaping out of Cole's way as she darted down the stairs. She caught up to him on the landing, stumbling slightly on the uneven ground in her stilettos. "Kyle…"

"I don't trust him, Paige." Paige squinted.

"I'm sure he's heard _that_ one before." she agreed, cracking a smile as she wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him towards her.

"I'm serious." he argued, trying to ignore the fact that Paige had just buried her head in his chest. "I want you to be safe." Paige rolled her eyes good-naturedly before taking a step back, tilting her head up to meet Kyle's eyes.

"I _am_…" Hardly believing her own words, she added softly, "Cole is a jerk, no an asshole, a real, _huge _asshole. But…I _trust _him. It's been _weeks_. He hasn't show _any _sign of having powers. He saved my _life_." The last sentence didn't come easily to her. It was rare that she ever admitted to co-dependence, but it was true. He _had_ saved her life. _Twice. _Being uniformally stubborn, Paige could not attest to liking Cole in any way. He'd hurt her sister badly, nearly broken her in fact, so badly that she'd been afraid she'd never be the same again. And yet, at the same time, Cole had never been evil of his own accord.

Even as Balthazar, Cole had been in control of himself, never hurting anyone but those neccesary to an innocent's protection, or at least after he'd met Phoebe. It had been when he'd been taken over by the Source that Cole had changed, and, much as she hated to admit it, he could hardly be blamed for that. Paige herself had been privy to magical changes before, and new that it was nearly impossible to recover your own sanity during those times.

"Just…be careful Paige."

"_Aren't I always_?" she teased. They kissed softly and sweetly, as they always did. Today, though, the lack of adrenaline was very, very fresh in her mind. The kiss was gentle-too gentle. And Paige was not a gentle girl.

"I think we should cut this short." Kyle told her, drawing back to indicate the group gathered by the open front door with a tip of his head. Paige rolled her eyes. Normally, she would have disagreed. Instead, she merely smiled.

"Maybe you're right." she agreed. "I'll…see you around."

When Paige closed the door behind her, it was Piper that assailed her with amused questions about Kyle, not Phoebe. She was unusually removed from everything, far too quite for her own good. Paige noticed that she averted her eyes from Cole.

"So, Cole," Piper started in a stab at friendliness, "What would you like? Some coffee? Something to eat? Maybe directions to the exit?" Unable to help herself, Paige snorted. A smile tipped up at the corners of Phoebe's tightly pursed lips so quickly Paige wasn't quite sure she saw it.

"Some coffee would be nice." Cole replied peacably. Piper wasted only a moment debating whether or not to point out the offer had not been a serious one. Paige could see the point at which she gave in, as she ran a hand through her long hair.

"Fine." she blanched, gesturing towards the kitchen with outstretched hands. "C'mon."

Cole caught up to Piper in three quick strides. They talked quietly to one another as they walked, Piper displaying all her usual signs of discomfort.

Paige and Phoebe followed on their heels. "I can _tell_ you're not comfortable with him in the house, honey. It's alright. Neither am I. If _anyone _hates him, it's _me_. But…"

"But he's your charge now." Phoebe finished simply. "I'm learning to deal, sweetie, just have patience. It might take some time." Feeling slightly guilty for pushing at her, especially after the hell she must have been going through what with Cole's return, Paige offered a tight smile.

"Uh…of course, Pheebs. I'm sorry…" Suddenly needing someone she could talk to about all of it, someone who would listen without bias or interference, she paused at the staircase. "Pheebs….I'll be down in a _little _bit, kay?"

"Wai-What, you're leaving me _alone_ with him?" Paige winced.

"Aw, c'mon hon, Piper's _right_ there. If he pulls _anything_, I'm _right_ upstairs. Power of Three. We'll blow'em to smithereens. Be _right _back…" Phoebe frowned.

"But-" she began, but Paige had already gone. "Paige!"

* * *

Heeeey. I guess you can imagine what Paige is going to do in the attic. And so yeeeah...end of the incredibly long Chapter 11. Chapter 12 will be out soon. I'm one of those sorts that can never wait a few days to put up a chapter, let alone a day, so these mini cliff-hangers are kind of ironic ^_^ You dont have to wait very long to resolve them. Oh well, at least I make the effort. Reviews, critiques, comments are all appreciated as they always are XD


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12, wow this story is flying by. I'm learning a lot about FF, like for one, I'm posting my chapters WAY too quick. I think it's because initially I was worried about the length of this story. So far, I think I'm keeping it relatively proportionate, if not even slightly too short. Thing is, when i write, I tend to write A LOT. It's ironic that some people may think I'm not descriptive enough, because when I write personally, I'm excruciatingly descriptive, to the point where I take up a LOT of pages. So on this website while my style hasn't differed, I'm trying to learn to condense a lot of it. Usually I write very, very long stories and don't even finish them, or I write very, very, very, very, very, long stories and eventually do. Either way, I see the end of this story in my head. I'm sure I will make it. And next time around I'll be much more responsible about a once-a-week posting date and such so that you guys don't start thinking of me as a pushover, kay? ;) Just be shush and read.

* * *

"And Kyle's…acting all _weird_. I don't know. Cole…saved my life. _Twice. _You know him, at least. Is that out of behavior or _what_?" Prue wrinkled her nose.

"Calm down, you sound like Piper. And…stop worrying, it doesn't suit you."

Paige rolled her eyes, her hands slamming angrily down on either side of the Book of Shadows.

Prue had stepped out of the circle of crystals and was perched on the couch, her legs crossed, one over the other. Every few minutes, she looked towards the door with longing, as though she could hardly believe her sisters were just one floor beneath her. Paige knew that, even by now, Prue hadn't yet come to regard her as a sister. And that was fine, really it was, because she hardly liked Prue anyway. Still, it was very useful to have an outer source to speak to, judgemental as she tended to be, who understood the situation but didn't benefit by any of the advice she gave.

"You know, Paige, maybe you're just _over _Kyle." she suggested coolly, drawing her eyes away from the attic door long enough to face her baby sister. Paige leered at her, narrowing her eyes into a pronounced squint.

"And what, _exactly_, does that mean?" Prue waved her arms in exasperation.

"Knocked out of love. Over him. Sick of him. No connection, no chemistry, done." Paige frowned.

"_You're _just saying that because _you _don't like him." she pointed out, and it was true. Ever since Prue's encounter with Kyle, she'd bad-mouthed him nearly as bad as she did Cole when the topic of him was breeched.

"No," Prue responded, "I'm saying it because I think it's true. You don't seem like the type to respond well to things that aren't…well, bold…You're like fire. Water just puts you out. More fire…it helps you grow. You're passionate Paige. And Kyle…all he cares about is the Avatars. You can't be boxed in like that. You're worth more." It was the first thing Prue had ever told her younger sister that could even vaguely be considered a compliment. Against her own will, Paige flushed slightly. She pursed her lips as she did so, hoping to draw the attention away from her reddening cheeks. She'd never taken well to compliments before. Somehow she'd always misconstrued them to be demeaning, even patronizing. But coming from Prue, who so seldom showed signs of considering Paige her sister at all, let alone _liking _her, it was different….satisfying.

"Uh…thanks. I think." Paige muttered. Prue smiled tentatively.

"Look I-" Her voice was cut off by a frenzied cry of,

"Paige! Paige get down here now!" Prue and Paige exchanged alarmed glances. Still slightly muddled, Paige slammed the Book of Shadows shut.

"I don't-" she began softly, then paused in disbelief. She could hardly believe she hadn't noticed it before. Somehow, the yellow-gold sunlight that had been streaming through the windows only moments before, turning the brown wooden panels rainbow with the reflection of the stained glass windows, was fading. Darkness snaked its way into the room, emerging from unnoticed corners, accompanied by a dank stench, similar to what she'd scented in the multiple alleyways she'd visited for her charges. "The windows!" she shouted, turning to face the one behind her. "They're being bricked up…" There was something familiar about the situation, something frightening. She backed up, then cursed softly as she bumped into the pedestal that held the book. "Prue…You should go, I-"

"Barbas." Prue murmured softly. Paige whirled around, slightly manic now.

"What? What'd you say?"

"Barbas!" Prue managed angrily. Startled recognition passed over Paige's face and she caught hold of the window ledge to keep from crumpling.

"Barbas." she repeated, paling. "Prue, go away! Go. Now." She was already at the door when Prue darted up behind her, looking determined.

"Phoebe and Piper…" she whispered. "They need me." Paige shoved at her, but they were evenly matched, and Prue was using every ounce of strength she possessed to move past her.

"They don't need you anymore!" Paige snapped, resorting to the only way she knew she could convince Prue to leave. "They have _me_." She voiced the last few words in an undertone, but by the way Prue's face fell, Paige knew that she'd heard her. "Now, get out of here!"

"Paige!" another frantic call came, "PAIGE, are you alright?" Paige grit her teeth.

"Go. NOW! Get _out_ of here!" Lips parted in disbelief and hurt, Prue disappeared in a flash of white lights.

Too anxious to feel guilty, Paige stumbled down the stairs. After all, she was only protecting the secret that _Prue_ had made Paige promise to keep. Not to mention the fact that Prue was _dead_. Having her around would only confuse things. It was clear that they would have to fight their way out of this. And Barbas's main arsenal was fear. Prue's arrival would only cause a melt-down for Phoebe and Piper, and they would be even more susceptible to Barbas's powers. She needed them in control of their emotions to handle this. She couldn't do it alone.

"Paige, oh, _sweetie _thank _God_, we thought you-" Phoebe's perilously high voice broke off as she pulled her younger sister into her arms.

"Pheebs…can't breathe." Paige choked out, struggling to disengage herself.

"Paige." At Piper's voice, Phoebe drew back, frowning. "This…"

"Barbas." Paige supplied, "Yeah, I know." Piper nodded slowly.

"The attic too then." she murmured, sighing. "The boys are at magic school….So is Leo. I tried calling for him as soon as I noticed the windows bricking up but…" her voice trailed away and it was obvious that Leo hadn't heard.

"Well this is just great, bricked up in a house of horrors with no powers." Cole strode into the room, sipping calmly from a mug of coffee though his eyes were slightly wider than usual. Paige slapped her hand to her forehead in frustration.

_Can this day get any worse? Now we're stuck here with Cole and he's got no powers…he's going to get himself killed. And this is a bad thing? Maybe, maybe not. If there's an attack on the house and Cole is endangered and doesn't use his powers, I'm going to have to assume he really has none…I'd actually rather he did at this point. That would be one less worry on my mind, keeping him safe. _

* * *

Cole with-held a chuckle at the look of utter confusion etched into Paige Matthew's features. Of the three sisters, Paige had always posed the most amusing facial reactions, eyes bugging out with surprise, squinting when she was angry, nose wrinkling with confusion. She was worse than Phoebe. Watching her now, he had a pretty good idea of what was going through her mind right now, the empathic powers he'd inherited from one of the power brokers working for him aside.

_Worry, of course, and panic. A lot of guilt, I wonder what that's for. Fear, well that's obvious. And concern. For her sisters, her brother-in law, her nephews….and me. _

At this he very nearly smiled. Perhaps this would be easier than he'd originally assumed. He turned to Piper.

_Pissed, as ever. Pissed at the lack of normalcy in her life, at my being alive, at Barbas, at Leo for not checking in on her, at herself for not checking in on the kids. Always angry, Piper. How could he forget? And beneath the anger, a lack of self-worth, a troubled determination to take charge and keep the others safe. _

And…Phoebe.

_Angry, too, that I'm alive and back in her life. No love, that much I can tell. And…fear, of course. Fear for her sisters, more than anything else. That they won't live through this. _

"Cole, you in there? Cole?" It was the first time Phoebe had said a word to him in a long time. He glanced up, trying to mold his expression into sheepishness.

"Yeah…sorry. I..guess I just can't believe this is happening." Phoebe was watching him carefully, as though he were some dangerous animal playing dead, and she didn't buy it. Trying to think of a normal reaction he would have had to being placed in this situation, in the hands of the sisters, powerless, trapped by the demon of fear, struggling for a normal life, he snapped convincingly, "They couldn't have just left me alone? _No_. They had to stick me with a _goddamn white-lighter_ and of _all _the white-lighters_ in _the_ world_ it_ had _to be_ you_!" Shooting Paige an angry glare, he added, "If you would have just left me _alone _in the _first_ place, I wouldn't have had to _deal_ with this! Having you around is going to make my life _more_ dangerous, not _less_." Phoebe was eyeing Paige precariously, as was Piper. Paige's lips had twisted into an angry snarl. She'd taken the bait.

As she opened her mouth to retaliate, Cole quickly reminded himself to continue playing this out right. He must have seemed too smug before for an ex-demon, turned mortal, trapped in a house full of demonic activity with no powers. He had to be more angry, more concerned, more scared.

"Are you _kidding _me? Without _me_, you'd have been _dead_ by now! You _need_ me, you just don't like it! Well you know what? _Deal _with it!" Piper raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the fight, then seemed to remember her job as the eldest.

"The two of you, stop arguing." she ordered, though she tossed Cole an angry glance over her shoulder, as if to make it clear whose side she was on. "We could be attacked at any minute. We've dealt with Barbas before. Paige, Phoebe, why don't you go in the kitchen, make up a strong potion, nothing too specific. That seemed to work last time. Try some mandrake root. And _you_." she added sternly, turning to face Cole. "Come with _me_, in the attic. I'm going to reread Barbas's page in the Book. You _did_ update it, right Pheebs?" Phoebe nodded her agreement. Piper had already turned towards the stairs when Paige put in,

"Why don't you help Phoebe with the potion? Cole is _my_ charge, and _my _responsibility. If he dies, I don't need his death on anyone's hands but my own, thanks." At this Cole raised an eyebrow, amazed at how determined they all were to forget his presence whenever the need suited them. Did they really hate him that much?

"No, Paige, now that we're all together in this house, waiting to be attacked, I'm pretty sure there's a lot more at stake. You're the best with potions, and this is important."

"Yeah but-"

"Hey," Cole interuppted, his lips set in a disgruntled grimace. "None of you are responsible for me. I am. And," he paused, measuring his options. Side with Piper or Paige? Piper was the last Charmed One he expected to feel any connection to him, and was relatively positive he could count her out of the runnings for those who would worry for his welfare. Siding with Paige, however, might help to relieve her tension, as well as give her one more reason to question her initial feelings for him. Perhaps one day, she'd be on his side. "You're both right. Paige is good with potions. So am I. Why don't _I_ help her out in the kitchen and _you_ girls can go check the book?" While Phoebe and Piper exchanged glances as though to debate his point, Paige turned to Cole with an expression of disbelief. He almost laughed out loud. No one ever seemed to side with her. But then, she was rather_ too_ instinctive for her own good. "We don't have all day." he prompted, "Who goes where isn't important. I, for one, just want to get out of here alive."

After another quiet moment, it was Phoebe who caved with a murmured, "He's right, it's not worth arguing." Sending Paige a reassuring smile, she grasped at Piper's arems and the two hurried up the stairs. Meeting Paige's eyes, Cole offered a smug grin.

"Alright, Paige. Let's go make some potions."

* * *

Yup. I won't rant like I did at the top. I hope you like it. And look forward to the girls being terrified into submission in the next chapter or so :) I know I do. I don't plan it out, but I hope to make it pleasantly dramatic with lots of tears and fears and stuffs. Hope you enjoyed. Rate and review if you dont mind :)


	13. Chapter 13

This turned out to be SUCH a long chapter that I cut it in half. That's probably why the cliff-hanger is not as good as it COULD have been -_- Oh well. It was very long. Um...hm. I like this Chapter, especially Paige's fear, and the first one we go into in detail :) it was very fun to write. I got a little carried away. I wanted to do more but thats really not the focus of this story. Maybe one day I'll write a story like that though :) Once this is done. Anyway enjoy

* * *

It wasn't long before the bricked-in windows began to bother Paige, and she'd asked Cole to close the curtains on them. As it was, she was claustraphobic, and hated anything that even implied being caged in. Not to mention the fact that she was becoming exceedingly nervous that it had been over an hour and still, Barbas hadn't made a move. Still, it wouldn't do to lose it now, especially not in front of Cole. Something told her he would be amused by her lack of strength, and that was something she just couldn't handle.

"Billings root." Paige said, imperiously extending a hand. The opening and closing of drawers and cabinets could be heard as Cole rummaged for ingredients. Paige had argued that it would have been more practical for her to retrieve the ingredient while Cole made the potion, seeing as she already knew where everything was.

Cole had argued that writing the ingredients down for the potion so that he would know what to put in would take far too much time and that, besides, he pretty much remembered the set-up of the kitchen anyway. What he'd said proved to be true, and though he was much slower in finding things than Paige would have been, he had less trouble than many others would have, especially considering that there was no order whatsoever to the placement of potion ingredients in the kitchen.

"Here." As soon as he pressed it into her hand, she dumped it into the metallic cauldron on the table in front of them. Being one of the less explosive ingredients, the potion merely simmered appreciatively.

"Toadflax." she demanded almost immediately after. "In the drawer in the dining room, in a yellow envelope."

"Yes, your _highness_." he sniped, rolling his eyes as he passed out of the room.

Paige smoothed her hair back from her face, very aware of how hot the kitchen was. The potion was boiling over a hot stove, and the heat of it had been enough to plaster her dark hair to her now-sticky forehead. She was tired, and dizzy, and the room seemed vague and foggy.

"He's going to take forever getting that Toadflax. Might as well get the carrot seeds while he's gone. Doesn't matter what order they go in…" she muttered, more to herself than to anyone who might have been listening. Dropping the ladle onto the cloth napkin that sat next to the cauldron, she crossed to the side of the room and threw open one of the cabinets. "Carrot seeds, carrot seeds, oh _god_ don't tell me we're out of them! Better check the compartment in the desk in the parlor…"

Her heels clacked loudly on the hard-wood floors as she neared the conservatory. As she passed into the parlor, she paused, her mouth opened wide.

She was in the parlor as she knew it, though there were minor changes. Some of the furniture was different, as were some of the knick-knacks that lined the shelves. The TV was smaller, with a broke antenna and a number of rickety looking knobs that ran across the sides.

At the foot of the couch were two little girls, oddly familiar. The taller one looked to be about five or six. She wore a faded white t-shirt, a pair of blue-jean overalls, and little, white Chuck Taylor's. Her brown hair had been put up in what must have once been neat pig-tails, though they had begun to sag from a day's activity.

The shorter one held a jump rope in her hand, and though she appeared at least a year younger, her features were sharper than the other girl's. Her hair was short, something of a bowl cut, though straggling curls escaped the mold, and it was a shade lighter than the girl next to her. She'd been dressed in a plain looking blue-checked shirt and panties. A matching ribbon dangled out the side of her hair, giving the impression that she'd shaken it out. The girl couldn't be older than three. She smiled, a very toothy smile, as she began to swing the jump rope wildly around.

"No, not like that!" the first girl scolded in her sweet, soft voice. "Here, I'll show you." Snatching up the jump rope, she began to expertly whip it around, jumping neatly at each interval as she sang,

"Skip, skip, skip to m'Lou. Skip, skip, skip, skip to m'Lou. Skip, skip, skip to m'Lou, skip to m'Lou my darlin'."

"Shhh." For the first time, Paige noticed another girl. Perched on the couch with a big book on her lap and her finger to her lips, she looked the very picture of childish sophistication. It was sweet, and she clearly thought herself far removed from her sister's immaturity, though she looked to be only seven or eight. Her hair, like the second girl's was cut short, though it was perfectly straight, not a strand out of place. It was the darkest of the three as well, nearly black, though her eyes were pale green. A tiny birthmark dotted her tiny face, just touching her right cheek.

"I'm tryin' to read m'book." she lisped, brandishing the book, a battered copy of 'Cinderella'.

Immediately abandoning their game, the two younger girls scurried up onto the couch, framing the third girl on either side. "Whatsit 'bout, Prue?" The youngest asked, peeking curiously over the arm that held the book.

_Prue, _Paige thought to herself in awe. _Then that's-_

"Non've your bidness _Phoebe_!" The pig-tailed girl replied caustically, sticking out her tongue before turning to smile up at Prue. It was clear both girls wanted to score favor with the eldest.

"Is too_, Piper_!" Phoebe shot back, sticking her own tongue out in reply.

"Now, girls! Don't argue." a new, soft voice chided. An unmistakable Patty Halliwell waltzed into the room, resplendant in a clinging white dress and heels, as well as a pair of sheer, blue and purple scarves that she'd draped over her shoulder for a mysterious, sultry air. She smiled as she drew all three girls into a hug, kissing each one on the nose in turn and eliciting a number of happy giggles.

Grams leaned up against the door-frame, raising an eyebrow. "You spoil, them Patty." she drawled, barely restraining a smile.

"Oh, _mom_." she responded, glancing up shortly from tickling Prue's feet. "You love them too." Eyeing them for a moment with an amused smirk, she finally agreed,

"Who wouldn't?"

The scene faded, only to be replaced by a new one. This time there was no mistaking that it was Piper, Phoebe, and Prue sitting on the couch with their feet kicked up. They were older now and Phoebe, being the youngest, looked to be at least eighteen meaning that the other two were each at least twenty.

Phoebe perched on the arm of the couch while Prue took up the majority of the seat. Piper had squeezed herself up against the side in a very unusual play at modesty. Then again, Phoebe had always said how much Prue's death had changed Piper. Paige felt a familiar pang at this, and wondered whether or not it had been her fault.

As they talked, Phoebe leaned over to ruffle Prue's perfect hair. Frowning, Prue grabbed up a pillow and chucked it at her. Within minutes, it had turned into an all out war, and even the oddly shy Piper had joined in. The room resounded in soft giggles and the pound of pillows, feathers flying haphazardly through the air.

"_Someone's _going to have to clean this up and it's _not _gunna be me!" Prue snapped. She ducked as Piper grinned and aimed another blow. "This is _not _funny!" she warned, though due to her own laughter she wasn't very convincing.

_How close they are, _the voice in her head mocked, not seeming even remotely out of place among her thoughts. _What a strong bond._

Paige watched Prue with a shaky countenance as the smooth voice added softly, _How can you possibly compete? With love like that…I doubt they even remember you. If they could only have Prue back…you would be gone. Forgotten. Thrown away. _

"Paige!" a deep voice resonated in her mind, vague but still noticeable. "Paige…what's wrong? What're you seeing? PIPER! PHOEBE, get down here!"

_You and Cole have a lot in common, Paige, don't you? You're both outcasts, tossed aside by the people you love. By Phoebe and Piper. They never loved you, either of you. But you thought they did. _

"No." she whispered, "That's not true. Not true, not true, not true." She repeated the words to her like a mantra, but the voice only over-rode her.

_Paige, you can't believe they really love you, _he said sensibly, _Look. Look at who they have. That is who they love, who they really love. Prue. _

"No." she whimpered, failing to hold back the tears that threatened. "No. They love me. They do, they love me."

_No, Paige. No. Paige. Paige. _

"PAIGE, listen to me goddamnit! Snap out of it!" The room blurred beneath her tears, then cleared. She blinked and drew back. Piper's face was pressed right up against hers. Strong arms held her securely in place as she rocked manically back and forth.

"Piper?" she managed. Speaking the name alone hurt. She was unloved. When they found out about Prue, she would be replaced.

"Paige." Phoebe moved forward, her face joining Piper's nearby. One of her curls fell loosely forward and she reached forward, securing it behind her ear before offering Paige a tentative smile, and Paige was reminded forcefully of the younger, tousle-haired Phoebe of her vision. She shuddered as they helped her to her feet, wobbling slightly on her thin heels.

"What did you see?" Piper repeated plainly as she guided Paige towards the couch. Paige squeezed her eyes shut, both embarrassed of her tears and terrified that what she'd heard, what she'd felt, was true.

"A snake." she invented wildly, brushing away tears with the back of her hand. "It bit me…I was bleeding…everywhere." Paige had always been a good liar. Phoebe leaned over her immediately, cooing with worry as she swept the hair out of her younger sister's face.

"It's not real, Paige. You have to believe that. You're not bleeding. Nothing can hurt you, not while we're here." Paige nodded slowly, pushing herself up into a sitting position.

"I know." she promised evenly, wiping stray tears from her cheeks. "I'm not hurt. Did Barbas get to you guys yet?"

"Not me" Phoebe offered, just as Piper scoffed,

"Cockroaches, like that's gunna scare me off." Still, Paige could see that she was shaking slightly, as though bugs were still crawling all over her. Piper hated bugs. Paige cracked a smile, trying to keep from thinking over the truth in what she now knew to be Barbas's words. He was playing mind games with her, trying to trick her. And yet…And yet it was true, wasn't it?

"The potion" she said suddenly, remembering.

"It's simmering. Piper added the rest of the ingredients." Phoebe told her. Paige nodded.

"Did it say anything in the book that we don't already know?" Cole questioned, facing Piper when he spoke and not Phoebe.

"No, just the obvious." Phoebe replied for her sister, meeting Cole's eyes coolly. They watched one another for a long, drawn-out moment. Piper broke the silence with a plaintive,

"I suppose all we can do now is keep close tabs on one another."

"Best place is the attic." Cole said, extending a hand to Paige. "We can consult the Book if anything comes up. Being mortal, I should be immune to the affects of Barbas's power…." Paige eyed Cole's hand as though it belonged to an alien with twenty heads. Since when was he polite? Never, that was when. She considered disdainfully ignoring it, then brushing past him on the way to the stairs. It was then that she caught Phoebe watching the two of them, her eyes unusually soft. It was true that Phoebe had gotten over Cole romantically, but there were still unresolved issues, and it was obvious that the ordeal was still a painful one for her to have to re-live after so long. Instead of sympathy, though, Paige experienced a brief pang of hurt. So what if she'd lost Cole? Hadn't Paige lost more? Her entire family. Images of Phoebe and Piper flashed through her mind, playing jump rope, peering over at Prue's picture book, arguing. She deserved that…didn't she?

Shifting her gaze from Phoebe, she took Cole's hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet. She flashed him a disarming smile before crossing to the stairs and heading up alone. Despite her hurried exit, she hadn't failed to notice the pained look in her older sister's eyes. Though there was a bead of guilt in the pit of her stomach, she found that she was more satisfied than anything else. She deserved it.

It was only when she reached the top of the stairs that she realized how childish she'd been being. How could she have blamed Phoebe? It was hardly _her_ fault, she'd been barely two at the time that Paige had been given away, Piper just nearly four. Even Prue, at seven, couldn't have known, couldn't have understood. And her parents, they'd given her away to keep her safe. Whether or not her sisters loved her as unconditionally as they did Prue, they had accepted her into their family, a virtual stranger. And she loved them. She knew she did. For now, that would just have to be enough.

* * *

So yeah, I really liked writing those flashbacks that Barbas showed Paige. I'm going to assume that yes, they really did happen, he did not make them up. He's just showing her moments of past bonding to make her insecure and jealous. But they really happened. Idk why it's so significant that I tell you this, it just is XD Um...I will definitely update soon. Rate and review, whether or not you liked it, and thank you in advance, even if you only skimmed. I love to write and love when people give me feedback about how it was.


	14. Chapter 14

Yeah Chapter 14. Woot! Um...This chapters pretty...well frankly, chaotic? I don't think it changes scenes at all from the manor the whole time...But there's a lot of stuff going on. I hope you guys like it :)

* * *

When she heard heels beating time on the worn staircase, she hastened to find herself something to occupy her. When Phoebe, followed by Piper and Cole, let themselves in the attic door, Paige was flipping hurriedly through the Book of Shadows.

"What're you looking for, sweetie?" Piper asked, brow furrowing. "We already told you we didn't find anything helpful."

"Oh, well, you know." Paige hedged, not looking up, "Stuff…" Piper raised an eyebrow as she collapsed onto the couch. After an elongated silence, Paige finally managed to catch Phoebe's eye. She had taken a seat next to Piper on the couch while Cole, showing an unusual spark of understanding, had distanced himself from the sisters, content to lean against the wall on the far side of the room. Through a single look, Paige tried to convey an apology. Apparently, she must have merely come off as constipated. Phoebe grimaced in confusion, eyeing her younger sister for a moment longer before turning away.

"Phoebe…" she started, unable to dredge up any alternative. "I'm sorry if I…well-" she broke off, noting the glazed look in her older sister's eyes with confusion. As recognition dawned, she shouted,

"Phoebe, wait, don't let him get to you!"

"He's evil." she murmured, her cloudy eyes suddenly sharp and feral. "He'll take me away….I'll never be happy. He'll always come back. He'll kill them, all of them." Cole blinked.

"Am I too assume she's talking about me?" he asked passively. Ordinarily, both Paige and Piper would have found time to offer snide remarks to his assumption. Now, though, both were understandably consumed with disbelief.

"Phoebe." Piper pressed, catching anxiously at her sister's hand. "Phoebe it's alright…it's alright, it's fine. I promise." Without warning, Phoebe suddenly crumpled to the floor, wrapping her arms around her chest and rocking slowly back and forth.

"Piper." she whispered softly, "Paige…" Tears formed at the corners of her eyes, quickly leaking out so that they left dark spots on her shirt.

"I'm right here, honey." Paige assured quickly, "I'm right here. And Piper-Oh, could this day _get_ any worse?"

Piper, who had been sitting on the couch calmly a moment earlier, had collapsed onto her side, feet propped up on the sofa's arm, and was screaming with such agony that Paige was glad Phoebe had lost her powers and was no longer an empath. Cole, however, was practically on the floor.

"Make her stop!" he snapped angrily, turning away to hide the pain torching through him.

"Oh, like _you're _the one suffering here!" she shot back, darting anxious glances from Phoebe, who appeared to be mourning Paige and Piper's supposed deaths, to Piper herself, sprawled sideways on the sofa crying and screaming simultaneously with hysterical pain. "What the hell is he _doing _to her?"

"She…on fire…" Cole managed, trying to appear calm despite the pain. Goddamnit, if only he'd thought to leave that particular power out. He'd forgotten how mentally dammaging empathic powers could be.

"On fire?" Paige repeated slowly, then, "Oh….oh _shit_." She moved towards Piper, than paused as Phoebe lurched onto her side, eyes wide, lips parted in a silent, frozen scream. "You help her!" she demanded of Cole, already kneeling at Piper's feet.

"Why _me_?" he retorted, clutching at his head as the girls' screams co-mingled with their emotional agony.

"Oh, _I_ don't know, maybe because she thinks you _kidnapped_ her and _murdered_ us?" Cole blanched.

"Uh…good point." he said finally, but Paige was already tuning him out.

"Piper, snap out of it! It's not real, it's an illusion!" For all of Paige's troubles, Piper let out another ear-splitting shriek followed by a string of nonsensical babblings. Paige leaned closer, trying to make sense of what she was saying.

"Fire…." Piper mumbled wildly. "So hot…Can't breathe. So hot…It hurts." Her words ended in a very un-Piper-like whimper that made Paige shiver.

_Shiver…cold. That's it! I'm so stupid, how can this have slipped past me? _"Ice cubes!" she commanded, extending a hand in anticipation. A clump of ice cubes from the freezer downstairs appeared in her hand, swathed in the familiar white-blue glow. "Here honey, no fire. See, nice and cool. Cool." she murmured reassuringly, un-clamping Piper's sweat-slicked hands to shove the ice cubes into them. "Cold. Ice cold. You're just imagining it. It's not real." Piper came to bleary-eyed and weak. Paige helped her up into a sitting position, then used one of the remaining squares of ice to pat down her hot forehead. "Good, Pipe, good."

"What's wrong with Phoebe?" Piper asked, the dream-like intensity in her eyes faded as they focused on her ravaged, little sister.

"She's uh…yeah. You sit down, Piper. I'll be right there."

Cole was kneeling on the floor at Phoebe's side, sensibly repeating a mantra of, "I would never hurt you, Phoebe. It's not real. I would never hurt you, Phoebe. It's not real." There was an odd look in his eyes, though, an anxious, concerned, doubtful one that made her wonder what was going on in his head.

Rolling her eyes, Paige shoved him aside. "_I'll_ handle her. _You_ handle this." Flicking her wrist toward the small, circular rug at the center of the room, she ordered, "Cauldron. Potion vials. Elm bark. Mandrake. Cardamom. Carrot seeds." In a glow of flickering blue lights, the cauldron, vials, and ingredients appeared on the little rug. "Bunson burners in the cabinet on the far left. Fill the vials when you're done. We can't afford to split up."

Cole frowned thoughtfully at Paige's gutsy, if not somewhat rash, approach to the massive burdens that had been heaped on her shoulders in spades, but quickly decided she was right. In her position, he'd have done the same thing.

"Alright, Phoebe, _focus_. _Listen_ to me." Ignoring her baby sister, Phoebe let out another angry scream.

"You killed my sisters. You _killed _them! I knew you would, I knew you couldn't be trusted! They're _gone. _I'll _never _see my family again. I'll _never_ be happy. I'll never _live_. _They'll _never live. YOU KILLED THEM YOU SON OF _A BITCH_." Cole raised an eyebrow from his place on the rug.

"That's…wow. Does she hate me that much?" Paige tossed him a sarcastic glance over her shoulder and he quieted with a subtle smirk.

"_PHOEBE!" _Paige yelled, catching her sister by the shoulders and shaking her violently back and forth. "PLEASE!"

"Dead, dead….I killed them…It's my fault. Cole…back. Dead." she insisted semi-coherently, rocking back and forth. With a conviction she didn't know she possessed, Paige promised,

"Cole is an innocent now! He would never hurt me or Piper! He would never hurt you either! He loved you, and that love was good! It just…wasn't enough. Cole is back for a life of his own now. He's had a hard past. But he's changed. And we have to help him through that. He…needs our support."

Cole listened furtively to the one-way conversation as he added the cardamom Paige had provided him with. He imagined that this would go on all day, and so he was significantly surprised when Phoebe lifted her head, her eyes clear with recognition as she whispered,

"Paige?"

"Yes, it's me, Pheebs, it's me. Everything's gunna be fine." she spurted, relieved.

"You're _alive_." she managed, throwing herself at Paige and pulling her closer. "And Piper…Piper…is she okay?" she continued, her warm breathing sweeping Paige's hair back from her shoulders.

"Yes, Piper is fine. She's just resting from-"

"I'm not resting." Piper interuppted with a bitter scowl. "I'm sitting up, see? Fine. It wasn't real." She caught Phoebe's eye and her sharpness faultered. "Phoebe."

Shaking herself out of Paige's grasp, Phoebe stood to envelope Piper in a hug, which Piper returned with a curious smile. "Uh…okay." she mumbled, but Phoebe was already gone.

Kneeling down at the edge of the simmering cauldron, she finally met Cole's eyes.

"Cole…I owe you an apology. As soon as I saw you walk in that door, it didn't matter that you saved my baby sister's life…I just wanted you back in your grave. I didn't think…I just felt. I was afraid that you were back to kill them off and take me back. I guess you can't blame me…it's what you've done before."

"Wait" Cole interuppted teasingly, "_This_ is my apology?" Paige's warm eyes found his and she smirked.

"Take it or leave it." she advised dryly, "It's the best you're gunna get."

And for the first time, Cole was no longer sure he was doing the right thing.

* * *

So that's it. Next one up soon :) Hope you're enjoying so far. Rate and review if you have the time :) I'd really really appreciate it. Don't feel like im pressuring you too, lol, but if you can itd be great. Anyway, talk to you later.


	15. Chapter 15

I'm putting this up a while before I plan to post it, so by the time I do put this up whatever I'm saying now may be old news. :) But that's fine. Right now the plot may seem to have a lot of holes in it, but I promise I have not forgotten them and the will all be resolved or addressed in due time. But still, any critiques or things you feel I really HAVE skipped over, would be greatly appreciated posted in the reviews or even sent to my inbox. I hope you enjoy this chapter, writing its beginning was really very fun, but there were some emotional moments in it too. And so...yeahs, here is Chapter 15.

* * *

"Oh, this is _unbelievable_!" Paige snapped, handing over a crisp, orange $100,000 bill. "A tree just _fell_ on my house? When does that _ever_ happen?"

"_Trailer_." Cole corrected smugly, "A tree fell on your _trailer_." It had been over two hours since the last attack, and Phoebe's considerably light-hearted, yet still clearly serious, apology to Cole had lightened the tone of the room quite a bit. With the potions done, stored in vials, and passed around with three for each, Phoebe had rummaged through the attic for something to do and come up with a battered box containing the board-game LIFE.

At nearly an hour into it, the game seemed to be going smoothly-for everyone but Paige that was. Piper, for one, had a high-paying salary as a chef and lived in a beach house. Conveniently, she had a husband and two boys.

Phoebe, meanwhile had ironically taken up a career as a writer, just as she had in real life, and was currently without kids, though she was privy to life insurance, home insurance, car insurance, an already paid-off college degree and a sprawling farm house with over sixteen acres to her name.

Cole, somehow, had been pegged for a doctor, making an 100,000 dollar salary, and lived in a Victorian mansion.

And Paige? Paige lived in a trailer park with a car-load of kids, received a 5,000 dollar salary, had no college degree, and was drowning in her own debt. To top it all off, every time she moved her piece, her family fell out of the car.

Still, much as she hated to admit it, it had been a fun way to pass the time, and to keep from worrying about what was next up in Barbas's twisted arsenal. Piper had lightened up considerably, and laughed more than Paige thought she'd ever seen her do before. Phoebe seemed much more comfortable with Cole's presence, and had even laughed at some of his jokes. And it was true, hard as it was to believe, that Cole could be rather charming when he felt the need to be. All in all, the last hour had not been as detestable as she'd imagined it might be.

"There" Piper said, settling back with a smile, "I'm the first one done. I'm retiring in…" she paused, musing. "Millionaire Estates. 1,000,125 dollars."

Phoebe and Cole finished at the same time, Phoebe with $1,000,093 and Cole with a resounding $1,607,304.

Unsurpisingly, Paige was last to finish. "Twenty seven bucks?" Phoebe giggled, clutching at her sides. Paige glared sourly back at her. "Aw, honey." she comforted, pulling her younger sister into a hug, her sympathetic murmurings broken occasionally by soft laughter.

"Ugh." she huffed, pulling away with an exaggerated frown. "I gotta go to the bathroom."

"Wha-Why? No..you can't do that, Paige, it's not safe…"

"_Why_?" Paige repeated, smirking. "To pee, Pipe." Piper winced.

"Phoebe_, go _with her!" Paige raised an eyebrow, already on her feet.

"No, no, seriously. That's not neccesarry. You guys…" she eyed the colorful, fake money scattered across the floor amidst tiny pink and blue people and multi-colored cars.

"Clean up."

Paige supposed she'd walked downstairs, or at least she must have done, because the last thing she remembered seeing was the conservatory-that and Cole's dead body, stiff and lifeless on the hard-wood floor.

* * *

"What a pretty potion." Barbas observed, smirking as he shimmered in. "Power of Three spell, right? But…_oh_. Where's your _sister_?"

"Paige!" Piper shrieked, whipping out one of the vials. "Paige we need you! The crystals, circle them!"

Cole was meant to be playing the part of confused and angry mortal, backing up against the wall and cursing loudly. Instead, he stood frozen. He knew Barbas, knew what was going through his head right now. He'd been so stupid. It had never occurred to him that Barbas would come at all, that he'd try to kill them here, now, before the plan had been executed. Clearly he'd underestimated his guts.

And in hindsight, it shouldn't have mattered. If Barbas succeeded in killing the girls, all power to him. After all, it might work. They were separated, and Cole felt sure Barbas had distracted Paige downstairs with something. Or…killed her. He felt a pang of disgust and fear, followed by disbelief. What was he thinking? This was what he'd wanted all along hadn't he? So the chance had arisen sooner, what difference did that make?

And yet, somehow, it made a _huge_ difference. "Phoebe, go help Paige, get her up here! Piper and I will distract him." Phoebe seemed far too distraught with the situation to be disgruntled with being ordered around by Cole.

With a nod, she was off and running down the stairs, the sounds of crashing, screaming and explosions fading behind her as she went.

"Oh, god, Paige, _please_ be okay." she begged softly to herself.

She let out a sigh of relief when she found her sister, kneeling on the ground, decidedly alive. Granted, she was leaning over nothing, and crying wildly for all her troubles, but regardless, she was alive.

"Hey, _kiddo." _Phoebe greeted, kneeling at Paige's side and forcing a smile. "We really need you up there…" Paige remained stunned and silent, eyeing the floor in front of her as though it had just issued a death sentence. "Uh, Paige, sweetie…" Phoebe prompted, giving her sister's shoulders a small shake. "PAIGE"

Paige's eyes met her sister's with the air of one meeting someone for the first time under very dehabilitating circumstances. After a moment of blank staring, a look of recognition came over her, followed by blunt-faced shame and remorse. "Phoebe." she whispered, burying her face in her sister's chest and burrowing her way under her arm. Phoebe blinked. Normally recognition meant that the affects of Barbas's power had worn off, that she'd come back to reality. Instead, though she recognized Phoebe now, she remained caught in a web of despair.

"Phoebe, I'm sorry. I'm sorry Phoebe. I'm sorry..." she repeated tonelessly, "I'm so sorry." Phoebe raised an eyebrow.

"Honey…" she began cautiously, "What are you sorry _for_?" Knowing Barbas, it could have been anything from dropping a glass to destroying the world.

"I-I ki-I killed him." she hiccupped, tears trickling down her porcelain-pale cheeks. "He's gone." Phoebe stared on blankly.

"Killed him…killed who?"

Paige's head snapped up and her eye's met Phoebe's. Unlike the usual glazed, unseeing look that occurred during one of Barbas's attacks, Paige's eyes were wild with emotion. "Cole!" she whispered. "I might as well have killed him. I _let _him die. He was my charge and I didn't trust him and I let him die! He died because of me! And you must hate me now….Hate me. Because you love him. You still love him, don't you? You love him and I let him die. Again. Now that he's good. But I-I wouldn't listen…I just wouldn't listen-" her voice towered higher and higher as she spoke. Nearing the end it reached a crescendo that broke at the last word, and a shower of angry, frustrated tears emerged. "Go ahead, hate me! I killed Cole!" Phoebe felt herself being pulled in so many directions she didn't know where to turn. This was definitely _not_ what she'd been expecting.

"Honey" she cooed, pulling Paige to her and cradling her. "Honey, of _course_ I don't _hate_ you. Look at me. Sweetie, look at me. _Paige_."

_Stubborn to the very end…_

Frowning, Phoebe touched a finger to Paige's chin, tilting her head up so that their eyes were level. "I do not hate you. No matter what you do, I could never hate you."

"I s-st-stole your red, chandalier earrings." she confessed hysterically, "And you know that jean jacket? With the little rubies…" she petered off sullenly. Ordinarily, Phoebe would have been angry, but these were not ordinary circumstances.

"I don't hate you Paige. It's not your fault that he came back, or that you were assigned to him."

"But Cole…" she faultered.

"I _don't _love Cole. Not anymore." she said with conviction, locking eyes with Paige to convey that she was telling the truth. "I _promise_ you that. I missed him _very_ much when we vanquished him. But I _never _regretted it. And I do _not_ love him now, regardless of whether or not he's good."

"He _is _good." Paige attested in a soft whisper. "But I didn't believe him. And now he's dead. He was my charge…I was supposed to protect him." Paige touched her hand softly to the floor, as though she could see Cole there.

"No, honey." Phoebe said firmly, smoothing Paige's hair back from her face. "He's alive, upstairs, and so is Piper. They need your help." Paige took a deep breath as she met her sister's eyes. They watched eachother for a long time and slowly, hesitantly, Paige nodded.

"Phoebe?" Paige mumbled as Phoebe helped her to her feet.

"Yeah?"

"Love you." Phoebe bit back a smile. She had to be woozy from the latest attack. It was so rare that Paige was that open with her feelings. In some respects, she was a lot like Prue.

"Love you too, sweetie." Phoebe returned, "C'mon, we need you up there."

Paige hurried after her sister, her cheeks flaked with dry tears, her eyes swollen and bloodshot. Needed. Phoebe had said she was needed. But was she? Was she really?

She supposed it didn't matter, not now anyway. Cole was alive. She hadn't failed, or at least not yet.

* * *

Dundundun cliff-hanger. I always have such trouble picking out where to end this. I just write pages and pages on MS Word, so it's not as though I'm marking it like, okay here's Chapter 1, this'll be Chapter 2. I pretty much just cut it off as I post it. So I think, with that considered, that my endings aren't too bad, hmm? I really hope you guys are liking it so far :) I'm so happy to have so many reviews! And I know I haven't really replied to any cause I've been so busy, what with school starting, and adjustments and all. But if you ever post a review that merits a reply, just add at the bottom Reply back, and I'll definitely do just that :) Anyways, even if you didn't review, I hope you like my story, and I'm definitely gunna follow it through ^_^


	16. Chapter 16

So yeahs, Chapter 16 ^_^ This is the last of the Barbas-demon of fear thing here. Yes, I know it's mildly disappointing. And while, yes, it is very, very fun to torture the sisters (much as I love them) with their fears 3 But I don't want to lose sight of what this story was about. Barbas was a straight-forward way of revealing Paige's feelings and emotions and he's done his job so now he must go out with a bang. I promise though that there are many more surprises in store :) Read on.

* * *

Paige winced as they reached the attic. The door had been blown off its hinges, revealing a massacred room that looked nothing like the attic they knew and loved.

Cole had backed himself into a corner while Piper was standing at the center of the room, fending off Barbas's fireballs with minor explosions.

"He doesn't freeze." she explained angrily. At this, Barbas let out an amused laugh before letting go another string of wildly burning fireballs.

"Paige! Phoebe!" Piper snapped, "A little help here." Phoebe's hand flew automatically to her pocket. Slowly coming back to herself, Paige flung out a hand.

"Crystals, circle!" Swathed in sparkling blue lights, the crystals assembled themselves in a circle surrounding Barbas. As though in disbelief, he glanced down, his pale eyes widening as they took in the crystals around him. Oddly, his gaze darted towards Cole, his features exaggerated with panic. Despite the similarly frightened and disgusted look Cole wore, she could swear that she saw the ghost of a smile flitting across his face.

It was clear that Barbas had tried to shimmer out, because at the movement the force field surrounding the crystals rippled noticeably, and Barbas was thrown to the ground. "YOU" he shrieked. Teeth gritted in anger, he leveled a finger in Cole's direction. "All along! You…" Barbas's eyes dilated in gruesome realization, and within moments he'd thrown himself at the barrier separating him from Cole.

Piper raised an eyebrow before tossing her potion and, unblinkingly, Phoebe mimicked her. Paige raised an arm, potion vial clutched tightly in her hand, then paused as Barbas's eyes met hers with a sympathetic smile.

"You don't want to do that Paige." he told her aloud, "I'm not the one who _used _you." Paige bit at her lip, the cold glass of the potion vial warming with her body heat.

"Paige…" Piper warned anxiously, "Throw the potion."

"Put the potion down, Paige. I'm not the one who's causing you this pain. It's not me who's hurting you." Barbas coaxed. Phoebe and Piper exchanged worried glanced.

"Paige, sweetie, what is he talking about?" Phoebe asked, crossing the room to her sister's side. Her sister's eyes were not glazed, as she'd expected them to be, but rather somewhat deeper. Pained.

Barbas caught Phoebe's glance with a smile. "_They _don't really care about you." he said gently, focusing on Paige now. "They're using you. I know it…" he paused to pass a regretful sigh, examining his finger-nails casually in front of his face as though his death didn't loom over the horizon like a dark sun-rise. "And so do you."

"Wait a minute." Piper cut in, the indecisive line of her mouth slowly molding into a pronounced scowl. "Are you talking about _us?" _Phoebe, already one step ahead, took Paige's hands in hers and turned her so that they faced each other.

"Paige." she said clearly, trying to reach past the hurt, deadened look in her hazel eyes. "We love you very, _very_ much. You're our sister." Paige remained silent as Phoebe smoothed a lock of her hair back from her face, tucking it behind an ear that wore one of Phoebe's earrings. She smiled, remembering tearing her bedroom apart a week ago looking for the very same ones. "_I_ love you. Leo does. And our _nephews." _Phoebe's hand wandered towards the vial clutched loosely in Paige's hands.

"Throw it, Paige." Piper ordered softly.

"Always asking so much of you." Barbus cooed almost immediately after Piper's voice had died down. "And you, not even a blood relation. Not even a real sister." At this, Paige's eyes squeezed shut. "It's not their fault. How could they love you? And when they find out she's back…they won't need you any more." Phoebe blinked.

_Who's back? _she wondered, sharing a curious glance with Piper which confirmed that she was just as bewildered. _Don't ask now, it's not the right time, _she pressed, narrowing her eyes and tilting her head hopefully. She let out a sigh of relief as Piper offered a brief nod. Paige was close to breaking, and showing interest in whomever it was that she felt would take her place was not the way to keep her on the right track.

"Paige." Piper pressed, "_Please." _It was so very rare that Piper used the word 'please' in any situation, that even Paige showed a look of startled recognition. Phoebe assumed Barbas was seeing the same thing, because his eyes glowed briefly with anger before he was once again sharing a reassuring smile with Paige.

"_Face_ it, Paige, they don't love you." Paige was wavering when, unexpectedly, an angry growl of,

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" penetrated the room. Cole, advancing from his place against the room, had balled his hands into tight fists. Barbas eyed him with careful confusion, and perhaps even a speck of fear.

_Of course he's not scared, _Phoebe reprimanded herself sternly, _he's powerless now, Barbas knows that, he's bound to, being upper level. The real question is…why's he standing up for Paige? A minute ago it looked like he just wanted to save his own ass and now he's putting it on the line for the sake of his temper. That's not like him. He's angry, sure, but not when it can cost him his life…_

It was apparent Barbas had decided against acknowledging Cole, because he continued to watch Paige with his calm, gray eyes.

"You know _what_?" Paige asked stiffly, her own eyes flickering intermittently. Barbas eyed her precariously. "I think I'm pretty damn _sick_ of you. It's _probably_ time for you to leave." Staging a mockingly polite wave in typical 'Paige-esque' fashion, she tossed the potions vial into the circle of crystals with a lazy flick of her wrist.

Phoebe squeezed her younger sister into a tight hug as Barbas errupted in flames, his screams echoing in the cramped attic room long after he had been reduced to mere ashes. Paige drew back tentatively, one arm still resting lightly on Phoebe's back.

"Paige, are you alright?" Piper asked with concern. Paige was saved the effort of forcing a smile onto her face when the bricks that obscured the windows began to recede, folding in on themselves in a complicatedly patterned process. She winced as the sunlight returned, flooding the room so that every color was distorted by the honey-gold light. "Paige" Piper pressed, as though warning her that the sudden change hadn't gotten her off the hook.

"_Fine_, fine." she promised, trying for that smile that had eluded her before. It came now, though not very sincerely. Piper grimaced.

"I think we need to talk, honey." Phoebe told her, echoing her older sister's thoughts in a considerably kinder way.

"About what?" Paige asked innocently, playing at stupid for all she was worth. Before Phoebe could open her mouth to respond, Piper rolled her eyes.

"Cole." she said sternly, turning to him. "Would you mind making us all some coffee?"

"But I don't know how to work the-" At Piper's persistent glare, he smirked, offering a nod before closing the attic door behind him, headed for the stairs.

_J_ust _like old times…I guess some things never change. _

He took the stairs two at a time, uncoordinated as his thoughts dominated.

_I can't believe I let them kill Barbas. I mean, I guess he's not exactly a neccessity in the plan, at least not anymore. The girls did as I thought they would and protected me, or at least to a certain extent. And from the way Barbas looked at me when he shimmered in, the plan must've been a success. One of them definitely fears my death, and when I can get them to worry for me, they'll worry less for themselves…And then I can…_

On the landing, Cole paused. For some reason that particular thought left him cold. Perhaps now wasn't time to think of it.

As Cole bustled around in the kitchen, trying different buttons with the new, more modern looking coffee-maker in the hopes of replicating what he'd seen Piper do before, his thoughts shifted direction. Far from thoughts of killing the sisters. There was no reason to dwell on that now…not yet.

* * *

"Paige, I know you're hiding something from us…" Piper pressed, watching her younger sister flip absent-mindedly through the book, in search of nothing but an escape, something she surely wouldn't find a vanquishing spell for.

"Just because Barbas said so-" she started haughtily, but Piper quickly interuppted with a simple,

"Oh cut the crap, Paige. You've been acting odd for weeks. We thought it was Cole, but we know about him now. And you better-"

"It's not only that we want to know what Barbas meant before." Phoebe supplied, aptly playing the Yin to Piper's Yang. "We're worried about you too. What's wrong, sweetie?"

Paige sighed. Wasn't that just always the case? They 'worried' about her. Something told her it wasn't true, that they didn't care at all. They just wanted Prue back. And she knew that she had to keep her return from them at all costs, even if it meant spilling some of the truth to keep her story believable. It was a sacrifice, but one that would have to be made to keep from allowing them to find out about Prue.

"I just…" Paige licked her finger before flipping another thick sheaf in the book. "Sometimes I feel sorta like…" Flip. Flip. "Like I'm not…" Flip. Flip. Flip. "One of you." She glanced up, small hands poised over the book as though in anticipation.

"Sweetie!" Phoebe cooed. "Of course you are! You're our sister and-"

"_Half_ sister." she corrected bitterly. "By our mother's side, making me a sister witch. But…what if it had been by your father's side? Then…would you still have needed me?" Phoebe blinked as Piper narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean, Paige?" she asked somewhat wearily. Sensing her sister's exhaustion, Paige fought back guilt. Yes, Piper had a life brimming over with her husband, her nieces, and thousands of demons but…She'd asked for it, hadn't she?

"I mean…if I wasn't a witch…"

"If you weren't a witch, we wouldn't have _found_ you in the first place." Phoebe stressed. "You're regretting that?"

"No, no. It's not like that. I mean…I _love_ this, I _really _do. I love the _magic. _I love my _powers_. I love…well_, all _of it. But…if I wasn't a witch, I mean if I was related to you in some other way…we'd never have met at all."

"But…isn't that a good thing?" Phoebe asked, thrusting her one-track mind into a startlingly bright spot-light.

"Yeah." Paige agreed impatiently. "It is. And I _know _you're glad the Charmed Ones are back, and that you can work power of three spells, and handle demons. But what about being my _sister_?" Piper opened her mouth angrily but Paige continued quickly, knowing that when she'd run out of fuel, she would stop of her own accord. "I'm _not_ saying you don't treat me like family, or that you don't _try _to. But you two share so many memories, from so long ago. Like _real _sisters do. And…you know me _three_ years. I mean…I hear you guys sometimes. Talking about things I don't know. About _Prom_, and _high school_, and _first dates_, and…and _I'm_ not a part of it. I _can't_ be." Piper's anger seemed to have ebbed.

"We don't love you because you're a witch." she said firmly. "We love you because you're our sister." Paige said nothing, uneasy with the idea of admitting that she was drained. Phoebe tossed Piper a desperate look before speaking.

"I'm _sorry_ you weren't there when we were younger, Paige. I _really_ am…And I _wish_ I could change that, but I _can't_. But it doesn't mean we love you any less. You're our _sister_….Better, honey?" Paige bit back a sigh. They just weren't getting it. If it weren't for Prue's death, they would never have known she existed. And more importantly, they'd never have missed her. True, it could be argued from their angle that Paige wouldn't have missed them, but Paige had always known she was missing something. Ever since her search for her blood parents, she'd sensed that she had a real family, a family like Phoebe and Piper and Leo and Wyatt and Chris, a live family who cared about her, or one day could. Phoebe and Piper, they'd only seen her as a sister witch, someone to reconstitute their broken triquetra.

And yes, she could vouch that they'd come to love her in time. But then, she'd moved in with them. Eventually they'd have had to learn to love her. Any room mate could have been loved in the same way. And though she connected on many levels with both of her sisters, Phoebe especially, Piper playing more of a mothering figure, the two of them, left to their own devices, seemed practically telekinetic. Both knew what the other would say before they'd even thought to say it. Paige wanted that. Desperately. Like they could never know.

"Yeah." she agreed finally. "I'm fine."

* * *

This Chapter was a little long, granted, but I hope I'm starting towards filling in those holes y'all see. The next few chapters will really cover that before I delve into the down-and-dirty stuff-quite literally. :) You can probably guess where I'm going with, but hey a little foreshadowing never killed anyone. Well...curiosity killed the cat. But satisfaction brought it back ;)


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17. Things will be coming to a head soon enough, and there will be a significant change in the direction of the story? It'll begin to deal more evenly with Prue and Cole, what with that messy Barbas out of the way. And no, I'm not one of those writers who will get so involved in sub-plots and emotions that I forget that, yes, Cole is trying to kill the Charmed Ones. No, I am not stupid. It will be addressed, I promise, as well as his thoughts on the matter. But for now...onto Chapter 17!

* * *

"Shit, shit, _shit_." Paige ducked as the glowing blue energy ball shot past her head, singing her hair before exploding into the wall behind her.

"Do you have _any _idea how long I took _straightening_ that this morning?" she snapped.

"Forget your _hair_!" Piper shot back. "Look at my _wall_!" She tilted her head as another energy ball darted by, this from the second lower-level demon. The two shared a grin, and for a moment Piper felt that perhaps she'd finally gotten her sister back.

"You know, you guys _really_ have _no _respect for other people's property, do you?" Paige asked with mock concern. Apparently realizing that he was being taunted, one of the demons leapt forward, fists out. Paige dodged him easily, grabbing at his leg and flipping him onto his back. As the demon across the room aimed another fizzing blue ball at Piper, she shouted,

"ENERGY BALL." directing it into her target's path with a wide arc of her arm. He exploded in a burst of green-blue flames. "Impressive." she observed coolly, "Big fire-works for a little demon." Across the room, the other demon had just done the same, and Paige supposed he'd been frozen, then nailed with Piper's back-handed molecular combustion.

"Are we kick-ass or what?" Piper teased, hoping to catch her sister's eye. Paige managed a forced smile.

"Uhuh." she agreed quietly. "Lot of damage to this wall, better call someone soon." With that, she strode from the room, flipping back her hair before disappearing from view.

She'd been that way for weeks, ever since the attack with Barbas. Usually sarcastic, witty and talkative, Paige had drastically changed into a shy, close-mouthed stranger who surfaced only during the famililarity of a demon fight. Piper knew that she and Phoebe had failed at the talk in the attic after Barbas's attack. In fact, much as she hated to admit it, she felt that the talk had driven Paige even deeper into the confines of her mind, where no one but herself was welcome.

Even Phoebe, who generally spoke with Paige on more friendly terms, had met with the cold shoulder. Usually, the two spent their nights awake in Phoebe's room, chatting in their pajamas with mugs of hot chocolate. The taste was too sweet for Piper though, so she contented herself with checking in on the two of them often with the warning that they'd be dead tired come morning. At times, Piper had come in to check only to find both of her sisters asleep in Phoebe's bed, Phoebe with her feet hanging off the edge from where's she'd slid a foot past the pillow, Paige curled up under the covers mumbling softly to herself. It was sweet, if not rather amusing.

But now, Paige had not only kept strictly to her own room, but had taken to locking her door before turning in at night.

Piper, who had played more of a protector and parental figure to her impatient baby sister than a friend as it was, had been shunned completely. Each time she cornered Paige for a chat, Paige simply bowed her way out or, at times, even totally ignored her.

Leo, after pushing at her for a long enough time and not eliciting the normal, irritated and sarcastic response, had given up alltogether. "Give her time." he'd said, "Let her get over it. She'll be fine."

But get over what? What was it she wasn't telling, aside from the ridiculous idea that she wasn't truly a part of the family.

After all, when had they ever suggested otherwise? Yes, she and Phoebe knew nearly everything about each other, but that was to be expected, wasn't it? They'd grown up together.

But it wasn't as though they didn't know anything about Paige. There was her favorite movie, _The Wizard of Oz_, and that she cried every time she watched it. Or that Paige was the only one, other than Phoebe, who was able to sit through _Kill it Before it Dies _without falling asleep, though the two often fought over who should have Billy. She knew that Paige was a Leo, that she refused to drive anything but a Volkswagen beetle, that her favorite color was lime green, that she had an unshakable addiction to lollipops. She knew that she only salted the right side of her popcorn, that her adoptive dad was a fireman, that she was clearly far too impetuous for her own good, and that when no one was home, she sang Peggi Lee songs in the shower when she thought no one was listening.

And yet…she knew a hundred times as much about Phoebe….about Prue. Was that what bothered her? That she was out-numbered, out-loved? She wasn't, Piper knew that. Circumstances were different for them, but she loved her as much as she'd loved Prue, as much as she loved Phoebe too, just…differently.

Shouldering her purse, Piper shook her head. Work would be hell today, with her thoughts running rampant like this. Perhaps she'd just check in on the club, then leave the assistant manager to his own devices.

Leo had said Paige would be fine, but she thought he'd been bluffing; it definitely didn't seem that way to her.

* * *

Paige peeked out the window for the fifth time in the past minute, eyes darting nervously up and down the block.

"You look just a bit nervous." Prue remarked dryly. It was clear that she was still smarting from Paige's emotional attack on her last time, and she hadn't warmed up to the conversation at all during the past hour that they'd been talking.

"A bit." Paige agreed haltingly, turning to face her sister with an exhausted sigh. "Look…Prue…" she began carefully.

"Save it." Prue interuppted briskly, "I know what you're going to do, and I don't want your apologies." Paige smirked to hide the flush that accompanied a sudden flare of anger.

"Well, that's just _peachy_, because I wasn't _planning _on apologizing. Look…you're smart. You've got to know that I said what I did for _our _sisters, to keep them safe. The shock of seeing you was the _last _thing that they _needed_ to go up against Barbas. Don't play dumb." she added, noting Prue's precariously confused glance with disdain, "And don't put _your _emotions ahead of your sister's _lives_. If I hadn't gotten you to leave, we might not be standing here right now." Prue opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again.

Her body shifted from transluscence to solidity as she left the circle of crystals and collapsed onto the torn old couch. She smoothed her hair back with a hand, sitting straight up against the couch's back with her head held high. "You're right." she said finally, shrugging with a forcedly helpless smile. "You're right, _okay_? They _don't_ need me. They have _you_. And I'm _sorry_, but I don't even _know _you. And you're living with my _sisters_. So _excuse _me if I…if I can't _handle_ that. Right now." Paige bit at her lip, her thoughts pressing up at her, screaming to be let loose. Prue was the responsible one, the calm one, the thinker, the leader. And she was venting, telling how she felt. Didn't that make it alright for her to tell too?

_No, _she told herself firmly, _No, keep calm and just…just…_

"What do you think it's like for _me?" _she snapped, losing the thread of her logic as her emotions warred with one another. "I…I find out I have these…these _sisters_. And I love them, I _do_. I _really_ do…And then _you_ come in, and treat me like a _stranger_. How will _they _treat me when they find out about you? Like I don't even _exist_? Then they won't need me anymore. And maybe _I_ can't handle that." Prue's eyes narrowed, then widened. Paige had never seen her look that way before, almost soft.

"Ugh," she muttered, sounding almost embarassed. "I…" They were at an impass, and they both knew it. Each of them was thinking about nothing but themselves. They were both being petty, vindictive, shrewd. And it couldn't be helped. "It's not that I don't like you…Okay, maybe I don't. But I think it's something that…that takes time." Paige shook her head fiercely.

"Look," she lied, "I don't really _give_ a damn if you like me, I just don't want to lose my _sisters. _I'm-" _I'm alive, not you. I need them. You…don't anymore. _"I'm sorry." she said instead. "I…I can tell them. Just give me some time." Something in Prue's eyes seemed to brighten, like candles in tiny glass windows. Just as quickly, the lights went out. Prue rubbed at her forehead, looking to Paige to be much older than she'd have been by now in real life, hardly thirty four.

"I don't want you to tell them, Paige." she said hesitantly, adding Paige's name with hardened consideration. "I-" she broke off as the attic door shot open, banging back against the wall with a crash.

"Paige Matthews Halliwell, I am cooking you your favorite meal, and you are coming down to eat with the fam-" Piper's voice faded with disbelief. She stumbled forward, clutching at the door's frame to steady herself. "Prue?" she choked out, her long nails chipping as they dug into the dark wood. "PRUE?"

"I can explain." Paige offered, tossing Prue a look of mingled disbelief and devastation. "I _swear_."

"_Explain?" _Piper echoed incredulously, "Paige-this is…I-" She shook her head helplessly. "_How?" _She turned to Prue, drinking her in with undisguised ecstasy.

_I cannot believe she knows…I might as well pack my bags. But…what's with Piper? You'd think she'd be mad. I've been hiding Prue from her for-_

Prue and Paige exchanged glances simultaneously. Judging by the look on Piper's face, the two seemed to have finally come to the obvious conclusion.

_She can't know that we've been talking to each-other for over a month now, how could she? She was out…she must've come home early from the club. She must think it was some sort of present or surprise for her…She's happy with me. _

The tiny flame of hope was quickly put out. _It won't last. It doesn't matter whether or not she's angry, she'll still forget about me. Maybe not being mad'll make it even easier for her. Still…_, her thoughts battled, _If you make it out the same way, like it was…No, _she reprimanded herself fiercely, _you've got to tell her. _

"Piper…" she spoke up quickly, knowing that if she didn't soon she would lose her nerve. "I need to tell you something." Piper, caught halfway between a smile and a disbelieving frown, shook her head emphatically.

"Not now, Paige. Not now, not when…Prue…"

Brushing past Paige, she flung herself at her older sister, her fingers running through the soft tendrils of her hair as though to prove that she was really there. "Prue, Prue, how are you here? How did this happen? How're you…alive?" Prue tossed Paige a semi-apologetic glance over her younger sister's shoulder, though there could be no mistaking the warm glow that pinkened her cheeks.

"Shush, Piper." she chided calmly, "I'm not alive. I've just come back as a ghost, the way Grams and Mom do all the time. Calm down, Pipe." she added sternly, sweeping a tear off of Piper's cheek with the back of her hand.

"How…how long can you stay? With us?" she breathed, recovering herself in short, taxing gasps. She let out an unusual, squeaky sort of hiccup, that caused Prue to smirk almost remiscently.

"I have to go," she warned, "Now." The emotional change was shocking. Piper seemed to fold in on herself, like a wilted flower caught in a wild storm. Her features crumpled, her warm face paling.

"Now?" she echoed. "What…how? Why would you come…come back?" Cries punctuated by the odd, strangled hiccups, her voice softened with disbelief as she spoke. "And just…and just _leave_ again?" It was clear everything was happening too fast, far too fast for even the normally calm Piper to handle. Prue sighed.

"Because Paige has to tell you something." The confusion on Piper's face would have been almost comical if Paige hadn't considered the situation to be so dire. She blinked, then bit at her lip. She supposed there was no avoiding this now. Stupid Prue. Stupid Prue and her stupid self-benefiting notions.

"What…" Piper was very nearly laughing, "What could she _possibly _have to tell me that's so important you have _to leave_?" Prue raised an eyebrow just as Paige shot her a frustrated glance.

"Stay, honestly, be my guest." she snapped. But within seconds, the room was sparkling white, the walls mirror-like with the light, reflecting off of themselves.

"She's _leaving_." Piper observed, cracking a wild smile as she turned to face Paige. "Why is she leaving?" Paige sighed, grabbing at Piper's hand in order to guide her towards the couch.

"Piper-" she started carefully. "I-"

"She's gone. How did you get her here Paige, what did you say? We have to bring her back. Where did she go? How could you just let her get _away_?" Trying to be patient was like beating her head against a brick wall. Paige rolled her eyes.

"She went where everyone _else_ goes, where Grams and Mom are. And what was I _supposed _to do? Go _with _her?" Too much in shock to recognize the bitter undertone in Paige's words, Piper cut in without a moment's extra thought.

"_Whatever_ it takes! We have to get her back here, _right _now, Paige do you understand that? She's my _sister_!" All her calming thoughts seemed to visibly blur in front of her eyes as she snapped back,

"Yeah, _newsflash, _so am _I_, and I've got to tell you something, so would you _listen _to me?" Piper blinked.

"Alright, Paige, make it quick. Phoebe! Phoebe doesn't know! I've got to tell her." as she moved to stand, Paige pressed firm hands to her shoulders, pushing her back down onto the couch.

"Alright, _look _I'm _done_ playing nice. I _get_ it that you're sort of shocked right now. And I _get _that you just want to see your sister. I get it, _really_ I _do. _But you need to know that…that this isn't the first time I've seen Prue." Piper opened her mouth to speak, then closed it as the words sunk in. She was silent for a moment, her eyes darting wildly back and forth before finally catching Paige's determined stare.

"What do you mean?" The decidedly crazed smile had faded, and Piper was eyeing her younger sister with a forced, cold indifference, like a mirror of heated glass that could shatter at any given second.

"I mean…I've been seeing Prue for a while now." Piper could only stare.

"She's been here before?" she asked finally, a dangerous note in her voice that made her seem very nearly feral.

"Yeah," Paige agreed wearily, abandoning all pretenses. "A few times. I talk to her about…stuff."

"You talk to her." Piper repeated almost blankly. "Frequently."

"Look, I didn't mean to hide it from you, or for it to seem that way…" At Piper's grating glare, she blanched. "Yeah, I did mean to hide it from you but..." Piper, torn between happiness, disbelief, confusion, frustration and a now near animalistic rage, merely sighed into her cupped hands.

"I've been so goddamn _stupid_" she said finally, looking up at Paige with wide eyes. "You've been playing us left and right, haven't you Paige? When Barbas said you didn't want to be replaced…And the snake attack illusion! You're not afraid of snakes! That was-that had to do with us didn't it? With Prue?"

_Playing her left and right? I wouldn't say _that_…I mean I know it was wrong. Real wrong. I mean she's their sister. They had every right to know. But Prue did say not to tell..That's no excuse. She wanted me to. _

"I-yeah." she agreed softly. "Yeah that pretty much sums it up."

"How could you keep this from us? How could you? If you were the dead one, and Prue was alive, she would have told us right away! She'd have done everything in her power to bring you back! To let you talk to us!"

"If _I_ was the dead one, you wouldn't _give_ a shit!" Paige snapped back, losing her patience.

"That's ridiculous! And totally irrelevant!" Piper countered, rolling her eyes. "Don't be so _dramatic." _But Paige had already crossed the room, snatched up her corduroy blazer, and shrugged her way into it.

"I'm leaving?" she said briefly, turning on her heel. Flicking her wrist, she shouted,

"Suitcase of clothes" and within seconds she was sagging under the weight of half her wardrobe, which has been fit snugly into an old red duffle bag.

"Personal gain, much, Paige?" Piper heaved, eyeing her disdainfully. "Don't be ridiculous. Stay here. Where else've you got to go, Kyle's?" Paige thought for a moment, figuratively thumbing through the things that would anger Piper the most.

"No," she denied, smirking, "Cole's." Piper's eyes widened noticeably.

"Paige…" she reasoned, "Wait for Phoebe to get home, at the very least. We can talk. I-"

"Oh so _now_ you wanna talk?" Paige asked, offering an almost regretful smile as she shifted the duffle bag from her shoulder, allowing it to slide down into the crook of her arm. "Look, it's fine. I get it, okay? I get more than you think. When Phoebe gets home, summon Prue. You do it the same way you'd summon anyone else, you don't need the Power of Three to do it. If there's any demon troubles or anything…" She shrugged. "Just call, kay?" Piper leapt up from her seat.

"_Paige." _she warned, "Don't you _dare_-" Reaching out, her hands grasped at thin air, scattered with pinpricks of white-blue lights. "PAIGE, get your _ass _back here."

Slumping onto the seat, Piper sighed, her frazzled emotions playing a sick game of tug-of-war with one another. Prue was back, not alive, but there. Real; or at least as real as Mom or Grams. Real, and capable, and loving, and back.

Phoebe didn't know. Leo. She had to tell them. She had to tell them Paige. Paige was gone. Which made no sense at all, none. Or maybe it did. It was just like Piper to gain back one of the things that meant the most to her, only to lose another simultaneously. When had anything ever _really_ worked out?

* * *

I really liked the first scene in this chapter, which is ironic cause I had a feeling everyone's been waiting for the second one. Yeah...But what can I say *shrugs* I don't know if it was as climactic as it perhaps should have been...I really did consider having both Phoebe and Piper involved, but I thought Piper deserved the spot-light there seeing as how she took Prue's death the hardest of all. I think as the now middle-sister, Phoebe would have been more in control of the situation, and more inclined to mediate between Paige and Piper, which would have A)super-duper confused Prue hah and B) Made it more difficult for Paige to storm/orb out of the manor. Which was neccesary. So yeahhhh. I hope you liked it though, please critique in reviews if you've found anything off about my writing and/or holes in the storyline I haven't addressed.


	18. Chapter 18

Okay, so this is a relatively short chapter, mainly the sort that's leading UP to things, not things actually happening. It does address a few things, though, and explain how Paige hasn't been at magic school so much (even if i personally myself wouldve been a little leery letting crazy Ms. Donovan run it for me for even just a few weeks :) ) And so...this is going to start delving into the less-magic related, more personal Paige, romantic relations sorts. Hope you like it?

* * *

Paige raised an eyebrow as she materialized in the parlor of Cole's newest penthouse, brushing thin, piano fingers up against a lamp made of pale, solid gold. "Subtle tastes" she joked dryly.

Turning on her high-heeled Jimmy Choos, she winced as the tails of her blazer caught on the lamp. It came tumbling down, crashing against the floor with an impact that seemed to jar the whole house to its core. Biting anxiously at her lip, she knelt to snatch it up again, hands fluttering over the lamp's expanse swiftly to check for cracks. Of course, this being her, a tiny golden knob had come off on the side and shattered into a number of little pieces. Still, she reasoned that the lamp looked fine enough without it, and she was shoveling the tiny chips into her jacket pocket, cursing as the sharp corners pinched at her fingers, when a smooth voice murmured,

"It's fine, leave it. It's only a seventeenth century antique, one of a kind." Standing, Paige leered at Cole, unable to answer as she popped her finger in her mouth, sucking away the dot of blood that had beaded there from one of the more jagged pieces. "Bit of a klutz, though, aren't you?" he added pleasantly, crossing the room, brushing past her, and dropping casually onto the couch behind her.

"I can pay for it." she said coolly, eyeing the lamp with distaste, "But if I were you, I'd have been glad to see it go."

"Are you kidding?" he asked, half-frowning, half-smiling, the dimples at the corners of his mouth indented. "That piece cost over a million." Paige rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't make it any less ugly." she returned with distaste. Cole managed a thin chuckle.

"You've got no taste for the arts."

"I've got plenty of _taste_ for the _arts_" Paige flared, stressing the 'arts' with an exaggerated accent. "I've just got enough common sense not to spend a million bucks on an ugly lamp." Cole narrowed his eyes, as though finally realizing that she was really here.

"Is there any reason for your visit?" he asked finally, sounding bored despite the fact that his eyes had caught hers with obvious curiosity.

"Is that _really_ any of your business?" At Cole's raised eyebrow, she decided that, perhaps, the fact that she was in his house at four in the afternoon while all of his doors and windows were locked tightly, merited explanation. Sighing dramatically, she collapsed onto a winged-back chair, burying her head in the smooth, red velvet. "It's Piper" she elaborated finally, "We fought, and when I was thinking what would piss her off the most…"

"You figured coming here would be a real ringer." he provided, smirking. "So what do you want?" Paige took a deep breath.

"My old apartment's empty. If you could just…tell them I'm here…" Cole watched her as she spoke and then, his eyes lingering on her a moment longer as she finished, he chuckled.

"That wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me," he tilted his head in the direction of a hall that seemed to branch off into a series of other corridors. "when I've got plenty of room _here_." Paige was quiet for a moment, digesting his words, and then,

"You seriously want me to stay _here_?" Slightly disgusted with the idea, Paige wrinkled her nose. "_Gosh_, Cole, that's _real_ sweet" she told him, offering a placating smile. "But…thing is, I _still_ really…don't _like_ you."

"I don't like you either." Cole responded pleasantly. "But I can handle one _night_ with you. Whereas, clearly, _you_…"

_A challenge, _Paige thought, rolling her eyes, _is he serious? _

"I can _handle_ one night with you." she snapped, "But _I_ have work to do and _I-_"

"Good. I'll see you later on then, you can have the third room down the hall to the left. I hope you enjoy your stay"

* * *

"Ms. Donovan, thank you _so, so _much for filling in for me, I've just been so busy, I know it was a lot to handle but-"

"It's _fine_ Paige. I handled everything _fine_." Sounding significantly proud of herself, she swept back her gold-blonde hair with a manicured hand. "Is anything wrong? You seem…well, stressed." Paige sucked in a deep breath, nostrils flaring.

"_No_." she said finally, letting everything out in a whoosh. "Well…yeah."

"Oh, tell me, I'm _excellent _with secrets. I have _never_-"

"Mrs. Matthews?" Ms. Donovan's ramblings broke off as one of the younger professors entered, a pile of papers stacked in his outstretched hands. "The grade reports for the first semester are in."

"_Paige_" she corrected firmly, looking at him as though for the first time. Smiling uncomfortably, he merely nodded.

"Right, uh…thanks. M-Paige…" Turning, he hurried from the room. Catching Ms. Donovan's eye, Paige scowled.

"Mrs." she pronounced with scorn, collapsing into her seat, falling forward onto the desk in front of her, and burying her head in her arms. "He called me Mrs." Ms. Donovan blinked. "Do I _look _like a Mrs_. to you_?"

"No." she promised, smiling reassuringly, "You don't, but he's…" she trailed off, and Paige could tell she'd been about to say 'young'. Wasn't she still young?

"Ugh." she moaned, head popping out from beneath her arms, "You'd think with everything I've got to deal with, little things like this would _not _bother me, but _sadly_, they do."

"Everything you've got to deal with?" Ms. Donovan prompted. Paige opened her mouth to speak, then closed it.

"Even if I told you, you wouldn't believe me." she said finally. Ms. Donovan blinked.

"Try me."

* * *

No, not a wild, stimulating, adrenaline rush chapter, I'm well aware. But it was more of an in-between point, anyway, to cover some points and issues. Reviews are still just as appreciated, be they good or bad ones o.O And yes, the Mrs. Matthews clip is a knock to one of the funnier seventh season episodes ^_^


	19. Chapter 19

Hopefully this can make up for my last post, which was my shortest ever. At the time, this chapter was already written, but everything being one big clump at that time, I couldn't find a suitable place to cut it off and make it even. Surprisingly, though this document is four pages when I usually try to keep it to three, this is ONLY a conversation between Phoebe, Piper, and Leo. You'll see more of Paige and Cole in the next chapter, but, of course, their conversation does directly concern her as well as Prue. Once again, not really a chapter of action scenes or fights, but I do like this one very much, and I feel like the initial confrontation between Phoebe and Piper about how much they miss Prue has been sort of moving towards this for a while now. Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it :)

* * *

Perched at the very tip of the attic couch, Piper bit nervously at her lip, fingers anxiously twining and intertwining. How long ago had it been that she'd called for Leo, telling him to come right away and to bring Phoebe too? A minute, five minutes, an hour, several years?

Tapping her foot impatiently, she leaned back stretching out as she cushioned her head on the couch's sagging exterior, then shot immediately upright as the air shimmered blue-white in indication.

"LEO? Where have you been?" Leo blinked, sharing a look of mild confusion with Phoebe.

"You only called for me just a minute ago…" he reasoned, matching her manic glare with his calming one.

"Piper, what's wrong?"Phoebe cut in, examining Piper in seconds and immediately sensing her bottled up distress.

"Some things are wrong." Piper, sighing tiredly. "Some things…couldn't be more right." "Do you have any idea where she's going with this?" Leo asked, eyeing Phoebe hopefully.

"_Not_ a word. Piper, _what happened?" _her voice rose this time, firm and commanding if not somewhat frustrated. "What's going on?" Piper glanced up slowly, hardly moving, hardly even breathing.

"Prue…is back." It was at least a minute before Phoebe frowned, her eyes meeting Piper's as though in the intentions of finding some sort of dark humor in them.

"Piper…" she said finally, voice soft, "That isn't funny." Even as she spoke, her stomach lurched. Piper wasn't joking, couldn't be joking. She'd taken Prue's death with even less acceptance than she herself had, and never once had Piper dared joke about it. Even despite that, Piper would never have called she and Leo here for something deemed 'urgent' only to worry or hurt them. Piper was the leader, the older sister, and though Phoebe considered them all similarly equal, she knew that a part of Piper considered it her job to keep her younger sisters safe. She would never pull anything like this without meaning it, would never say what she'd just said unless…unless it was true.

"Piper…" Leo began, quiet, sensible. "You…"

"You're not lying." Phoebe interuppted breathlessly, not daring to meet her sister's eyes for fear of finding recognition there, "You mean it don't you? You do?" It was like she was lighting up from the inside, glowing, flying. "She's alive?"

"Phoebe…" Leo turned to her, eyes almost pitying. A shock of reason hit Phoebe like a thunder bolt and she cast her eyes down, unable to bare it. She'd been so stupid, entertaining that brief notion, that brief hope, a glow of candle-light that, however faint, she just couldn't bring herself to extinguish totally. Leo was right; it was hopeless. Why was Piper doing this to them, to herself?

"Not alive." Piper corrected vaguely, addressing Phoebe's questioning, not Leo's, as though he hadn't spoken at all. "But she came back, as a ghost, I saw her, I swear…" Piper looked so helpless, so young, that Phoebe wanted to hug her close, but she couldn't move, couldn't even take in breath to steady her erratically beating heart.

"Piper, that can't be. The elders, they'd have told me if we were allowed to see her yet." Leo's level voice seemed far-off to Phoebe, a TV channel coming in and out of focus, and one that she wasn't particularly interested in at that. "Look, you girls may think the Elders aren't helpful, and maybe sometimes they really _aren't_. More than _anyone_, I understand now that they may seem…lost in what they want, lost in their pursual of the greater good. But you will see Prue again one day, I know that. You know it too, in your hearts." Somehow, Leo's usual performance seemed to fall flat. For her part, Piper seemed to think so too.

"I'm not crazy, Leo, and I'm not imagining things." Sighing, Piper leaned back, looking almost weary. "I saw her, I smelled her…that awful cinnamon shampoo she was so attached to…" Phoebe almost smiled.

"Just like Paige."

"Oh God…" Something in Piper seemed to crack as she glanced up again, shaking her

head. "I forgot…I totally forgot. Paige…"

"Paige?" Distracted, a slight note of worry crept into Phoebe's tone. "What's wrong with her?" Leo, quiet now, was listening with lips pursed, clearly sure that both girls had lost it totally.

"After I found out about Prue she bolted…That's what she's been hiding from us, Pheebs. Prue…she knew all along. They've been talking to each-other." Phoebe was silent for a long moment, opening her mouth to speak, then closing it again in disbelief.

"She-she knew? She knew that Prue…that…"

"Yeah."

"That would make sense. After all, from what I've been sensing from Paige she's been feeling pretty left out lately, for over a month now. If those insecurities sprang up when she realized the two of you would be able to make contact with Prue again, it stands to reason she'd be worried that given the choice between the two of them, you wouldn't choose her." Piper turned to Leo, raising an eyebrow.

"Welcome to reality, Mr. Logical Reasoning, glad to get through to your thick skull." Leo flushed.

"I'm going to check with the elders, see what they know about this." Phoebe squinted against the blinding lights that rose up in folds of glistening blue droplets as Leo disappeared. When her eyes opened, Piper was picking at a thin string of material hanging sideways off the edge of the couch, eyes unfocused.

"Piper…you don't look happy about this." Phoebe murmured, doing her best to conceal her own euphoria. The whole past few minutes felt surreal, like a wonderful dream that would be interuppted with the dark, crashing waves of reality any moment now.

"It's Paige." she managed finally, shifting uncomfortably. "I…I mean it hasn't sunk in yet that Prue…that she's here now. It doesn't feel real, you know? Like it was a dream, even though….even though I know it isn't. But Paige…she's our sister now. And when I saw Prue, I forgot. I forgot about her, and she noticed, I know that she did. She felt it. I didn't really think about her; I didn't really care. And that's just what she's been dreading, like Leo said."

"Yeah, Piper, but Paige has got to realize…" she broke off, fighting to keep in control, fighting to keep her emotions from over-flowing. Taking a deep breath, she added softly, "Prue, our Prue." Piper shook her head.

"Of course she understands. She lost her _parents_. And she was young, too young for that trauma. She gets it, more even than we do. But…if you think about it from her angle…it was like…like my finding out about Prue was the end of the three of us. It was like her death sentence. She thinks that we'll forget about her now, that we don't care. And…" Steadying herself for what she was about to say, wishing for once she could simply be weak and do what it was her heart wanted to do, not what she felt was right, she said, "And much as I want to see Prue, much as I need to see Prue, much as we both do…I think we need to get to Paige as soon as possible. We need to show her that we noticed that she left that we miss her, that we don't want her to leave. If we don't show her that, we may lose her for good. And Prue…she isn't going anymore. Not anymore."

Hating herself for it but unable to stop it, Phoebe's heart gave a leap at Piper's last words though she'd felt only numbness during the progression of her speech prior to them.

_It's true, _she realized with a jolt, _All I want is Prue. I want to see her, I want her next to me right now. I'd give anything for it, I'd give my life. And Paige…I just…I can't care as much. She's got to understand. It's been so long, so, so long…_

"Piper" she faltered, "I want…" Piper bowed her head, and when she looked up, her eyes were shining with tears. She wiped them away, clearly embarrassed. It was so rare that she cried, really cried.

"I know." she whispered, the familiar room blurring through her tears even as she pictured it as it had once been, pictured Prue flipping frustratedly through the book of shadows, her eyes wild with adrenaline. "I know what you want. I want it too. But we can wait, can't we? Just a little? For Paige?"

"But I…No, you're right." Sighing, Phoebe ran her fingers through her hair, eyes darting the other way to keep from showing how disappointed she was. It was hard to describe the feeling; as though she had been waiting for her whole life for this moment counting down every second only to find that it would never come.

_It will, _she assured herself. _Just do this one thing, this one small thing…Paige is your sister too. She looks up to you. You're supposed to be taking care of her. _

Her disappointment mingling with shame, she spoke up softly, "I'll go get the crystals. We'll scry, find her and bring her back here. She can't have gone too far the crystal should be able to pick her up anywhere, as long as she's not in the Underworld, and she wouldn't have gone ther-"

"Phoebe." Piper broke in haltingly, "I know where she is." Phoebe glanced up, eyes widening just as her heart worked towards its more-than-steady pace again. She knew, she knew where she was. She would be seeing Prue then, soon, any minute now.

_Focus, Pheebs, focus…_

But it was hard, like making out the exact details of a pencil on the floor in a room swathed in clouds of thick gray fog; nearly impossible. Phoebe was hardly lucid, but it was a sweet, euphoric sort of obscurity, and she was hardly eager to leave it behind.

"Great, that's…that's great. Really great. Where is she?" Piper bit at her lip. "Is….is she alright?" she added, frowning.

"Yeah…." Piper hedged, "Yeah, she's _fine…." _

"Why does that sound like there's something more?" Phoebe asked, trying and failing to meet Piper's eyes.

"Probably…because there is." she paused for a moment, lips down-turned as she collected her thoughts and then, "Paige is with Cole"

* * *

So, that was Chapter 19, and I really hope you guys liked it. Keep reading, keep reviewing, keep doing whatever it is you do. Comments (nice, critical, or even rude) are always nice and I appreciate everyone who even glances over at this series :) It's my first one, yeah, and I know those words are the sort that turn people off to stories before even reading them, but it's not the first time i've written. Anywaaaays, feel free to comment...or not to comment. It's fine. I dont' bite :) Much.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 :) Wow this is flying by. I can't believe I started this back in mid-August, and now it's the second week of school :/ How depressing. But I suppose it's not too bad, being back, though I might be updating a day or two later than usual and do most of my writing on the weekends. I caught up though, finished up about four or five chapters this weekend, so I should be on track for a while now. I really, really enjoyed this chapter. And for anyone who felt duped of Cole and Paige in the last chapter, you'll be glad to hear that this chapter is ALL them. And I DID rate this story pretty neutrally, so you'd do well to know that...let's just say you have to make inferences. Just as with Kyle, I didn't go into any great detail, not that I haven't before in any other stories. If that bothers you, please say so, but I thought the majority reading this might not want to read anything past PG-13. Still, I can't promise that later on, there may not be some more in depth scenes. You can trust that, by the rating of this story, things will not get graphic. not that I haven't ever done it before, but I don't think that's where we're going for this story :) Anyway, please enjoy.

* * *

"Champagne?" Paige eyed the uncorked bottle with a mixture of trepidation and desire.

"No thanks." She managed, smiling, "I don't drink." Cole raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised, before bringing the bottle to his lips and drinking deeply from it.

"You're just_ full_ of surprises, aren't you Paige?" he asked, wiping the sticky residue from his lips with the back of his hand.

"Ah, well, what _can_ I say?" Shrugging dramatically, she added, "I _would _like to add that I certainly wouldn't object to some soda." Cole cracked a smile.

"Good, then you won't _'object'_ to getting yourself some."

"Talk about your ungracious hosts." Paige pointed out.

"_You_ invited _yourself_." he countered reasonably. Half-leering, half-smirking, she held out a hand, palm open.

"Oh, _fine_. Make it…something _sparkling_." A can of Orange Soda appeared in her outstretched hand in a glow of blue-white lights, giving off a soft fizz as she popped open the top.

"Aw, shit." she swore, cradling her right hand in the other as she rolled her eyes skyward.

"What? What is it?"

"Broke a nail." she answered after a moment's pause, letting out her breath in a whoosh. "Ugh._ Gross_." Holding her bleeding finger at arm's length, she drew in a short gasp, closing it off as she bit at her lip. Cole let out a dry chuckle, though it petered out soon after Paige caught his gaze with an angry glare.

"What, _dare_ I ask, is so funny?" she asked haughtily, full lips pursed.

"It's just…I hadn't really pegged you for someone who would be squeamish with blood. You _do_ have to make blood sacrifices all the time, don't you? I mean, you're a witch." Paige leered.

"Yeah, I _do_, but that doesn't mean I have to_ like_ it. And…I'm not _squeamish_, I just…" She wrinkled her nose. "The smell…and…the way it looks…._Ugh_." Realizing how fragile the thin veil of her pride was, Cole held back bubbling laughter.

He was…enjoying himself, more than he had in a long time. But, if any, now was the time to strike. He had her, alone, off her guard. Convincing her to call her sisters here to reconcile the situation, having the three of them, under his power, all vulnerable and hurting…it was the chance he'd been waiting for, the chance to strike out.

He glanced up, watching as Paige blotted out the blood dripping from her finger, squinting and wrinkling her nose with revulsion, eyes averted. If a simple broken nail had her on edge, it was a wonder she was such a strong fighter. With a fear like that, it seemed inexplicable that she was still alive now, not already buried.

_Like she will be…soon. _

Catching his eye, she smiled wryly, tilting her head. "Gee, you're even less attentive than I am." she observed. "Did you even hear a word of what I just said?"

_She said something? _

"Glad to hear it." She answered for herself, frowning though her eyes glimmered with amusement.

_This is it, _he reminded himself, trying to keep focused, trying to ignore that disarming, almost-arrogant half-smile. _It's now or never. Tell her, tell her to call her sisters. She'll do it, with some convincing, she wants to be in their favor more than even she knows. And whatever happened, she's missing them. There's a bond…a connection. Just to suggest that they come here….It'll work. _

"Paige…" he started, cautious.

"I know, I _know_." Heaving an exaggerated sigh, she dropped back in her seat, snuggling up against the couch-cushions so tightly that her legs dangled above the marble floors.

"You-you know?" Cole choked out, steadying himself with deep breaths.

"Yeah." She said, sounding almost bored, "You think I should talk to my sisters, don't you? That whatever happened we can 'fix it up'." she added, fingers molding into exaggerated quotations marks at her sides. "It's just like you, isn't it, a demon handing out angelic advice? Like you're sooooo good." He was silent for a long time and then,

"No. I was just going to ask if you'd ever noticed that you had a dimple, see it, right there on your chin?" Leering, Paige returned,

"Oh, that is just_ so_ juvenile." But that dark, smoky smile was enough to convince him that he was doing the right thing.

* * *

"Mmmm…Paige…Stop."

"Shh…" Paige smirked, pressing a finger to his lips as they opened in protest. "_Quiet_."

Cole closed his eyes, emotions warring with one another. Did she feel this way too? Like everything was going too far, too fast, like a train roaring off the tracks, and there was nothing either of them could do to stop it? They hated eachother, didn't they? Hated eachother with a passion more hotly fueled than _anything_...well, anything up until now.

This was crazy, absolutely insane. This couldn't have happened. It made no sense. He was here, back again and alive, to murder Paige and her sisters. She had to die, all of them did. It was all he'd ever wanted, ever needed from his life, ever since Phoebe had abandoned him. But..

He cringed as Paige's eyes met his, large with excitement and dark passion. She was a lot like her sister, like Phoebe, but she was different too, stronger. She never depended on anyone, never could, never knew how. She didn't trust people, people like him. She was wild, unpredictable, with a bitterly amused edge. But no, this wasn't him thinking, this was someone else, someone who was easily influenced, someone who...cared about her.

He cut his eyes away from her, away from the fragile happiness in her face as she smirked, leaning over to press a kiss against his neck; soft like chiffon, like butterfly wings; so unlike her. Her hair, usually a red-brown mahogany, was shadowed black in the unlit room. Sweat held thin strands of it to her forehead, and one piece came forward to shield her eyes. Ducking her head down, she let a short breath out from under pouting lips, and the curly ribbon of hair flipped up into the air. He wanted to reach out, to smooth it back, to help her.

No, this wasn't him. This wasn't him at all. _Control, _he thought fiercely, _This is out of control. Doing this...doing this was...wrong. So wrong. _

"Paige,_ think_, alright?" he snapped, drawing back from her as she looked up at him with big, startled eyes. "Think what we did…"

It was almost painful to watch as a look of recognition crossed her face, darkening her eyes almost as though the innocent happiness was physically bleeding out of her.

"No...Oh god, you're right…This-this _can't _be happening…" Biting at her lip, Paige rolled over onto her side, unable to come to terms with what she was doing; what _they _were doing.

Letting out a sigh that was half-anger, half-frustration, Cole nodded firmly, grabbing her by the shoulders and turning her so that their eyes met. "It's awful…I mean…hell, Paige, you have no idea, no goddamn idea how…how _impossible_ this is."

At the force of her stare, he glanced away, trying to steady his ragged breathing.

_How could this have possibly happened? I don't understand…What was I thinking? Was I thinking at all? How could everything have gotten so completely out of my grasp?_

Blinking back sleep, Paige muttered tiredly, "Oh, _God_, tell me this was just a nightmare."

"A nightmare?" he couldn't help himself from teasing, "I don't know about _that."_

_What are you saying? Stab her, goddamnit, stab her where she is. Just get rid of her, make this awful night end. _

She offered a brief smile before it was broken off by a deep yawn, her lips parting softly as she curled up, folding in on herself like a flower. "Maybe not a nightmare…" she conceded, biting back another yawn as it rippled in her throat. "I'm going to hate myself in the morning, I know I am."

"I already do…" Cole whispered. When Paige didn't reply, he leaned over, only to find her eyes loosely shut, dark lashes sending thin shadows flickering across her flushed cheeks.

_Oh God. How can this have happened? What have I done…? _

Tucking a loose strand of dark hair back behind her ear, he asked himself the most haunting question of them all:

_How can I do it? How could I possibly kill her now? _

* * *

Yep. Cole is being sensitive. No, this is not the sign of an apocalypse. And Paige..just wants to jump his bones. Nooooo, seriously. It's not like that. But there's definitely a physical connection. And..uh, yeah for you slow ones they DID have sex. I tried to bring this around as slow as possible...They were re-introduced to each-other 20 chapters ago, and I think this is a significant amount of time to show Paige really cares about Cole, maybe as a little more than a charge? And Cole is just confused, because he wanted to kill the three of them off for revenge on Phoebe. But now...he's finding he doesnt really love her so much anymore, and so he's beginning to look at Phoebe's vanquishing of him from her angle and seeing it with reason and logic, which he couldn't he was in love with her. And now while he's already battling with trying to stay focused on the plan, he's sort of...well, falling for Paige too. Some people may think this is far-fetched. That's probably because I rushed this story so much, being that I'm writing it more to inspire my original works than anything else, as well as cause I adore Charmed and it's fun :) Keep in mind though, that the plot-twist concerning Paige and Cole having an affair behind Phoebe's back during the fourth season WAS actually considered by Constance M. Burge himself at the time. He mentioned in an interview that as soon as he brought the idea to the girls, they all shook there heads and immediately said NO WAY because they thought the sisters would never do that to eachother, and all three refused to do it. Also, I'm not a rip-off writer. I thought of this before I heard that it was actually considered for the show :) Long comment today, I know, hah. Just wanted to clear up minor issues. Aw who'm i kidding, I just wanted to rant. But I had fun with it. So :p Comment or critique if you dont mind?


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21. I'll be shush cause I left you all ramblings on the bottom for those who actually read it :)

* * *

"Wait, _what did you say_?" Piper smiled weakly at Phoebe's incredulity, more a defense mechanism than anything else. "I guess I really upset her. She probably wanted to go somewhere to piss us off. We can't give her the satisfaction of letting her know it really…well, bothers us."

"Of _course_ it bothers us!" Phoebe snapped, teetering dangerously on her thin, strappy heels. "How could it _not_? It's not safe there, he can _kill_ her! Doesn't she understand that? This is so much more than my not liking him." Piper eyed her younger sister wearily for a moment before murmuring,

"Is it, Phoebe? I don't know…It's definitely a part of it. But something tells me Cole can't be trusted…and no matter how hard I try, I can't bring myself to believe he doesn't mean any harm. It's too…cliché."

"You're right, Piper." Both girls shielded their eyes in anticipation of the sprinkling of blue lights that would inevitably follow the far-off, detached sound of Leo's voice. Materializing between them, he side-stepped so that he was facing the two of them evenly.

"Right about what?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Leo shook his head, frowning.

"Cole…"

"What do you mean she's right?" Phoebe asked, her voice jumping an octave as her anxiety grew.

"The elders…had an interesting take on the whole situation. Before you get too angry at them, I want you to consider where they're coming from, as a force of good." Piper narrowed her eyes, already not liking the direction that Leo's words seemed to be headed in.

"Cut the cryptic crap, Leo, tell us what's going on." Leo bowed his head and for a long time, longer than Piper would have liked, there was silence. When he looked up again, his eyes were fierce, unusually bright, like two morning stars.

"Cole _does_ have powers, and the Elders know it."

"_What_?" Phoebe's voice wasn't detached now, not like Leo's. It was harsh and bitter with angry disbelief, and Piper cringed at the sound of it.

"Leo…" Piper interjected softly, "Are you sure?"

"Positive. But…he doesn't know that the Elders know, and our interfering could jeopardize that." Silent for a moment, digesting the meaning behind his words, Phoebe could only stare.

"Of course we're interfering!" she snapped finally, "He's got Paige! He could…she could be…" Neither of the sisters could finish the end of that sentence, but it was clear that, nevertheless, Leo had gotten the point.

"The Elders…are banking on the fact that he won't hurt her." Phoebe locked gazes with him, eyes searing.

"Why?" she demanded, "Why wouldn't he?" The two watched one another for a long time, Leo with caution, Phoebe with a feral, barely constrained anger.

"I don't know, Phoebe. I don't know…" Piper blinked, catching his eye, and in a silent moment the two connected.

_You're lying, _she realized. _You know. _

And as Phoebe turned away, hands clenched, eyes squeezed tightly shut, Leo gave a brief nod.

* * *

"I…I have to go…my sisters…" Jumping to her feet, Paige wobbled unsteadily, immediately lurching forward to grab onto the bed-post for support. "Ugh…do you remember…did I…drink?"

"No." he promised, "I'd have remembered that much." Smiling somewhat wearily, she turned away, eyes cast down. "Uh…Paige…" he added, raising an eyebrow, "You're...um..."

"Oh…God." Paige's pale face only made her blush more prominent, the blood that flooded her cheeks bright red in contrast to her ghostly white complexion. Bending forward, she drew the Egyptian cotton sheets away from the bed, wrapping herself in them as she would a terry-cloth towel after a shower.

"Here, take this." Shrugging off his collared shirt, he tossed it to her. She moaned with frustration as she shimmied into it, realizing that this would be the second time in a few weeks she'd be returning home in a guy's top. Hopefully, they wouldn't question the alibi that she'd spent the night at Kyle's. She _had_ told Piper she would be at Cole's, but it shouldn't be too difficult to convince them that he'd turned down her self-invitation. She herself could hardly believe that he'd allowed her to stay let alone…

_No, don't think about that right now, _she told herself fiercely, _It'll only make your head spin. _

"Paige…where is it you're going exactly?" he asked carefully. Paige blinked.

"Home, Cole." She said wryly, "You know, I _live_ there?"

"Yeah, but you sort of stormed out on your sisters last night, didn't you?" Paige stared for a moment, the events of the morning before coming back to her and then,

"Oh… Oh God, Piper." After burying her face in her hands for a moment, she emerged with renewed vigor. "We've just got to work it out. We always _do_, right? I mean, sure I can be stubborn. And...maybe a little overbearing. I was wrong. I think I was wrong, wasn't I? I suppose we both were" She sighed.

_She's talking to herself, just like Phoebe used to when she was nervous. _Cole rolled his eyes. _It's still cute. _

"If you don't mind my asking…" he started cautiously, "What were you two fighting about?" For a moment, he thought she was actually going to tell him. When she turned away, it was as though his stomach had dropped out from under him.

"Nothing _too_ important." She hedged, "You know, sister stuff. I really _have _got to go, Cole, like right now and…" Eyeing him for a long moment, she bit at her lip so tightly that a patch of cream appeared beneath her tooth where the blood had been pushed back. "Maybe we should pretend this didn't happen, alright? I-"

Her sympathetic attempt at an explanation failed when an irritating, one-toned beeping sounded off, continuing on repetitively as Paige scuffled across the room towards the noise. She found it ringing under the bed and quickly swiped it up, brushing back strands of hair from her face before snapping it clumsily open and pressing it to her ear.

"Hey." At the sound of his voice, Paige's breathing seemed to momentarily cease.

"Kyle," she returned, hoping she sounded more enthusiastic than nauseous, "Hey. What do you need?" She could almost hear his careful smile on the other end as he answered with a tentative,

"Nothing, I just…sort of wanted to hear your voice." Paige smiled wearily.

"You're sweet." She could swear she saw Cole roll his eyes, but there was nothing she could do but send him a fleeting glare, hoping he would get the message. "Look, Kyle, I've really got to go, can I see you….later?" After a pause, Kyle responded with a disgruntled,

"I thought you might like to go out for breakfast with me. I know you don't think breakfasts are very romantic, but I promise you I can make this one if-"

"Aw Kyle…that's great, really it is. But I sort of have to deal with some...stuff right now." Disgusted with himself, Cole couldn't contain a smirk. Without his even knowing it, smug Agent Brody had finally been put in his place.

_Oh God, what am I, possessive now? _

Paige noted Cole's faintly horrified expression with a raised eyebrow as she switched her phone off, shoving it into the shirt pocket of Cole's top. "Who was that?" he asked casually.

"You know very well who that was." she answered, narrowing her eyes at him. "It was Kyle."

"Ah, I remember him." Cole returned pleasantly. Paige frowned.

"I'm sure you do." she muttered caustically under her breath.

"What? What's that Miss Matthews?"

"Oh, _why _don't you do us all a favor and _shut _up?" Cole ducked as a poorly aimed pillow soared past his head, connecting with the wall behind him with a soft thud.

"Oh, you're _on_." Grabbing both wrists in a one-handed, vice-like grip, he dragged her onto the bed.

_What the _hell_ am I doing? _

His thoughts were fleeting as he pulled her closer brushing up against her foot. She let out a scream of laughter, biting it off quickly with a scowl.

"You're ticklish on your toes?" he taunted, "That's…different."

"Cole!" she snapped, fiercely biting back a grin, "Stop it!"

Experimenting for a moment he added laughingly,

"Third toe, left foot."

"Goddamnit, Cole! What about Pho-"

Her words choked off as he pulled her into a kiss. She drew back, fighting against his arms, but he pinned her there, and eventually she gave in, going stiff, then fluid as he traced patterns into her exposed back with his fingers.

They both stopped at the same time, breathing in harsh gasps. Stumbling to her feet, Paige darted across the room, hurriedly shifting through the mess of clothing on the floor for what was hers.

"Paige…." Catching her by the shoulders just as she reached the door, he added a reluctantly hopeful, "_Stay."_

* * *

This is how I know that I know this show a little TOO well :) Yes, Paige is ticklish on her toes. Third toe, left foot. She only salts the right side of her popcorn. The Wizard of Oz always makes her cry. I'm not crazy, I swear lol. I just always remembered those because when I was little I was picky about which side of my popcorn i salted too and the wizard of oz still makes me cry :) and i was even more into charmed when i was a little kid (if possible) plluuuuuus idk I'm not a big Henry fan but that he remembered all those little things in that 8th season episode was so sweet 3 Like, people say I'm too particular with guys. But it really is the little things I want, I think, and probably that all girls want. Guys never remember the little things like that, little quirks. So that ^ is a nod to Henry, who I respect and appreciate even if he will not make an appearance in this story (sorry guys). And I love Phoebe to death, reallllys, but c'mon. Count the guys she gets during the 8 season run, then add up Paige's (5 seasons), Piper's (8), and Prue's (3) and see which number's bigger -_- And Phoebe STILL couldn't find a nice guy except for Coop. Or Drake. (Btw, in my opinion Charmed should have really ended with Phoebe ending up with DRAKE not Coop. I just adore him. I love Coop too but, once again, seems rushed. And Paige should've gotten Kyle (comon-we all know his being a white-lighter was a bs excuse for them not to be together. when he said that i thought for sure it was just to hold off and make it a shocker when they got together again but that really was it) or eveeeeen Cole. That wouldve probably dragged out for a season 9 right? Paige and Cole, love affair, Phoebe thinking she loves Cole but Drake somehow finding his way back too. Idk how the Charmed fans wouldve responded to that. Gotta say even i feel a bit out of place writing even these mild love scenes between them lol but in a nice way Idk I'm super duper rambling. Ima stop.


	22. Chapter 22

This one's pretty intense. I had a looooot of difficulty writing the next few chapters so all complaints and critiques will very much be taken into account. :)

* * *

"Girls _wait_, you can't _do_ this!" Phoebe wrenched her hand from Leo's grasp, whirling on him with a blazing anger in her eyes that prompted him to take a quick step back.

"What do you _expect_ me to do, Leo, let him kill my sister?"

"No!" Leo returned swiftly, "Listen to me, you're rushing into things. Paige is safe. I would sense it if she was hurt, you know that." Piper seemed to waver for a moment but Phoebe's conviction was unshakable.

"Leo either you orb us there right now or I'm going myself." Leo sent Piper a fleeting, hopeful glance, but she nodded firmly.

"She's right, Leo. Paige is our sister too, and she's in danger." Leo shook his head slowly, sighing.

"She's safe. You're making a huge mistake."

"_Leo" _Phoebe said warningly. With a final, tortured look, Leo gave in, flicking his hand in the girls' direction with a muttered,

"Cole's manor"

Phoebe and Piper hardly blinked as they appeared in Cole's newest apartment building, already long-used to the effects of side-along orbing. "Always does himself good, doesn't he?" Phoebe whispered wryly, already setting a foot down softly on the marble floor.

"Where do you think they are?" Piper asked quietly, darting a glance at her sister. She seemed pale, much paler than usual. She looked a lot like Paige just then, bitter while simultaneously innocent, her face white in the dim lighting. Phoebe drew in a careful breath, listening with eyes closed and then,

"That way." Following the direction Phoebe's finger was pointing towards, Piper took the lead.

"You're right." she said as they rounded a corner onto a cream-walled corridor gilded with pale gold moldings, "I hear voices and…"

_Laughter, _she realized with disbelief, _I hear laughter. _

Phoebe and Piper locked eyes and it was clear that they were thinking the same thing.

"Who's going to open the-" Piper's whispered question broke off abruptly as Phoebe, trembling, fiercely twisted the door-knob and yanked. The door swung open, banging back against the wall behind it with a crash.

"Oh. Oh my _God_, Paige!" Piper's voice, indefinitely high with shock, hardly registered in Phoebe's mind. Her eyes widened as she stared directly ahead, forcing breath out of her lungs as though she hoped never to breathe again.

_Oh, my God, _she thought, subconsciously caught in a spiral of intense confusion, _Paige?_

At first, Phoebe didn't understand, couldn't possibly manage a grasp on what was in front of her. Instead of careening out of control, her mind played the same track over and over again: _What's happening?_

Though her vision was fine, the scene seemed almost far-off, insubstantial, with a haze to it. The room was new and unfamiliar, but the dressers and armoires held fragments of Cole, her Cole. Things like that stood out sharply; the things she remembered, things that she connected to him. Cole himself was in focus too, all dark angles and contours just as he'd always been. The sharp square of his jaw cast a shadow against the hollow of his throat, throwing his chest into full prominence even in the near-dark of very early morning. Cream-colored covers crept their way up past his hips, starkly pale against the bronze of his skin.

They stared at each-other, Cole more in a trance-like state of terrified disbelief than on any level of shame or mortification. It was Phoebe who finally broke contact, turning vaguely to meet Piper's eyes at the feel of strong hands on her shoulders.

"Paige…" Piper spoke, even as she eyed Phoebe precariously. Phoebe blinked, thick lashes framing eyes that were growing gradually more and more startled, a deer caught in the headlights. Piper was looking at her, yes, but she'd said Paige's name instead.

Paige. Paige her baby, the tiny little sister she'd always wanted but never been able to have. Paige hadn't really existed once, or at least not for Phoebe. The closest thing had been that little porcelain doll she'd carted around in Prue's old, toy stroller, cooing appreciatively in its stubbornly unchanging face, never giving up hope that one day she would get a response.

And then Paige had come along; strong, stubborn, independent, thick-headed Paige. Paige with her tiny hands and exaggerated curves, with her red bow lips and too-big eyes and thick, dark hair that curled in on itself; her little doll, gone for a while but all grown up now, and finally come home.

In a way, she really had cared for Paige, even as a child. She'd known it, felt it somehow. She'd understood.

Of course, accepting her hadn't been made any less difficult by that fact. After all, she'd just lost Prue, and much as she'd wanted to believe it, the idea that her little sister had been wandering around without her all this time seemed a bit too nonsensical even for her to handle.

But she hadn't been very surprised when loving her had come as easily as loving Prue, perhaps even more so. Because it was clear that Paige needed to be loved, needed a family to surround her and keep her safe. She didn't know it, and even if she did she would never admit it. She was too much like Prue, too proud, and Phoebe loved that about her too. But she had resolved from the start always to be there, serving as the invisible, guiding hand that kept Paige from trouble; that kept her from pain.

But never had she imagined that it might be Paige keeping secrets-that it might be Paige protecting _her. _

But in a way she was, wasn't she, just by going behind her back? How long had it been going on, how many times since his return?

_Just say it, _she told herself, glad that the voice in her head was firm, _Just say it. Acknowledge it, you know it won't make it any more or less true than it already is. _

"So _this_ is what Leo meant." Piper added, her voice a groan as she leaned her head back against the wall. "That you'd be safe…"

Of course, Leo would think that. And knowing Paige, she would too-that to Cole this meant something. That he wouldn't hurt her now…that he _couldn't._

Once that might have been true, but not anymore.

"You're sleeping together." All eyes turned to her as she spoke. Her voice was firm and low, though it shook in places. Ordinarily she might have been more self-conscious, but nothing in the world could distract her from Paige.

She sat straight up in bed, knees tucked beneath her, hands wandering uncertainly over the surface of the watered-silk comforter. Directly opposite to what Phoebe thought might have been her own shock-induced calm, there was a well of intense panic in Paige's eyes that Phoebe was sure she'd never seen before in all her life. Her dark eyes were dilated to twice their usual size, her lips frozen in a strangled 'O'.

"Phoebe…" Slick and graceful even as it was clear he was nearing the closest thing to panic he'd ever experienced, Cole slid from bed. "There's not much I can say to defend myself, is there?" he asked finally, offering a weak smile. Piper's forehead creased as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Cole…" she started heavily, "_What _are you two _doing_?"

"Oh, I think that's pretty clear, Piper." Despite the fear in her youngest sister's eyes, Phoebe couldn't restrain the anger that crept into her tone.

"Phoebe-" Cole began carefully, but Paige, whipping her dark hair back from her face, glanced up, eyes suddenly hard.

"Look, Phoebe I _know_ this is hard for you. But this is a one-time thing. It..." she faltered, tossing Cole a pleading glance. When it was clear he had no reassurances to offer, Paige drew in a deep breath to steady herself. "It isn't something that's happened before. I thought you might want to hear that. Even still, Pheebs...you need to know that…it's personal." Phoebe could only stare. Was this the same Paige who'd spent hours comforting her over Cole? The same Paige who'd recited over and over, time after time, what an absolute dick Cole Turner really was? Hadn't she hated Cole, hated him for every breath he took? When had this happened? Had she been so caught up in everything else around her that she'd failed to notice such a gargantuan change in Paige?

"Personal?" she managed, eyes wide. "Paige this is hardly _personal_!" Phoebe wasn't entirely sure which she was angrier at.

Yes, there was no doubt that it was Cole who'd compromised Paige. But hadn't Paige let it happen? Knowing how much Cole had meant to her once, wouldn't Paige have had second thoughts before jumping into things so quickly? Getting over Cole had taken every ounce of strength Phoebe had possessed. She'd needed to harness areas of herself she hadn't even known existed, taking them into account as she took the long path to self-awareness, to self-confidence; to acceptance.

She was finally done now, finally done with Cole and finally done re-living every moment they'd spent together, the good and the bad; done. And so how could Paige have been so cold and inconsiderate? Did her own sister mean so little to her that she hadn't had a single regret about doing the one thing that would hurt her most?

_No, _she promised herself shakily. _This isn't Paige's fault. You know her, and this isn't her. It's Cole's fault. Anything that happened here tonight is Cole's fault. He brain-washed her, dragged her into it. It might have even been some sort of a statutory rape. _

Shaken by the thought, imagining Cole straddling Paige as she curled up helpless on the floor, Phoebe quickly amended her angry words with a soft, "I'm not blaming you Paige; I promise you I'm not." Her eyes found Cole, hands balled into tightly clenched fists. "What do you think gives you the _right_? How _could _you? Look at her, look how young she is! How could you possibly _use_ her that way? What, so you think you're getting back at me, at our family? Paige is not some second-rate prostitute you can just pick up off the streets and then throw away when you've finished with her! How could you do this?" Cole took Phoebe's punches with dignified grace, lips tightly shut, showing no reaction to her sharp words save for the occasional wince.

_He knows he deserves it, he thinks he's duly paying for what he's done. _The thought of Cole being penitent, the thought that she had actually gotten through to him and, most of all, that Paige might actually mean something to him, only further angered her.

Honestly, much as she hated to admit it to herself, she could see the pattern now. Cole hadn't raped her, hadn't done anything of the sort. She could see where it had happened, could see when a tentative friendship had developed, still shaky in places, but a bond nevertheless; a bond large enough to form something on a late night laced with the kiss of champagne bubbles and laughter, something just barely strong enough to forge something real.

But no, she couldn't believe that, not until the very end, not until there could be no other possible alternative. Because Paige was young, and fresh, and innocent, and she would never, never in a thousand years, do anything she knew would hurt her sister so badly. They were too close. They meant too much to each-other, more than any man ever could; more than Cole.

But then there was Prue…That had come between them, hadn't it? Paige hadn't told her, hadn't told either of her sisters. And she knew how much…how much that meant to her. And she wanted to be angry. She wanted to run across the room and slap Paige across the face. She wanted to scream and cry and rage and ask what else she could possibly take away from her. How much more did she have left to lose?

But no…No this, all of this, had to be Cole's fault. And when they were gone, when they were far, far from here, Paige would have such a reasonable explanation for everything that it would be as though nothing had ever changed.

She had to believe that-even if it made no sense, no sense at all.

* * *

Yeah, hi, Pheebs we call that denial. Ehhhhh I wasn't sure how to approach this, and i figured that was the most believable way, trying to see it as just Cole. After all, he does still have his powers. Anyone think she'd react differently? I mean of course she's pissed. We'll see. This is a bit messy here in a lot of places. Any constructive criticism? It'd be super appreciated.


	23. Chapter 23

We're still kind of on the same page as last time here (seeeriously no pathetic pun intended for any who caught that ^_^) and soooo here we go with chapter 23. wooow time flies.

* * *

"You can do whatever you want to me, Cole, or try to, God knows you've gotten away with enough already. But how _dare _you lay so much as a finger on my _sister_. And after everything she's done for you? She's the only one who trusted you. And even when she didn't, when she wasn't sure, she did _everything _for you. She was _constantly _trying to help you, so you could have another chance, even when none of us would. How dare you do this to her? How heartless are you? I-"

"PHOEBE!" Piper and Paige called her name at the same time, but it was Paige who shot up out of bed, still clutching the comforter to her chest with pale, crossed arms.

Piper opened her mouth, clearly in order to speak, but Paige sent such a withering look her way that she immediately quieted. "_Phoebe_" Paige repeated firmly, turning to her. "I _know_ this is a shock, and I know you could _never_ have expected this in, like, a _million _years. I'm almost as shocked as you are, _believe_ me. But you _can't _blame this on Cole. I _know_ you want to, I _know_ it'll make you feel better, but I'm just as much a part of this as he is. You keep looking at me as your baby sister, but I'm _not_ a baby, and I wasn't bullied into this. Even if it was on the spur of the moment, it was still an adult decision, and one that the two of us risked _together_. If you're going to blame anyone, blame me." Sounding, for the first time, ashamed, she added reluctantly, "I've…been going behind your back with _quite_ a lot of things lately."

Over the roar of her world crashing down around her, Phoebe could just barely make out her own quiet voice murmuring, "So I've heard." Piper, grasping at Phoebe's arm, whispered sharply,

"I think you forgot why we came here in the first place." Phoebe was confused only for a moment before she remembered. "But I don't know how she'll take it now, seeing as…you know…" Wincing, Piper motioned awkwardly with her hands.

Paige rolled her eyes, "Why_ did_ you come?"

* * *

Paige was stuck, stuck on some neutral plane between blinding rage and an awful, all-encompassing guilt.

_First_ of all, _how_ could they walk in on her like this? She'd been as surprised about this as they were now. She could still hardly believe it had happened.

But Cole and Phoebe were done, they had been for years, and this was a personal matter. To have them marching in, seeing everything, having to read the looks of incredulity and shock (even anger in Phoebe's case) on their faces, was the last way she could ever hope to regain her sanity.

Worst of all was Phoebe's insistence in blaming Cole when, from what Paige's hazy mind could pull together of the night, it had been she herself that had made the first move, not him.

And embarrassing as the whole night clearly was, as much a mistake as there could be no denying it must be looked at as in the future…she couldn't quite help the glimmering of a smile that touched on her kiss-swollen lips as she thought of it.

Then there was the fact that Phoebe had so much more to be mad at with her than with Cole. Not only had she willingly slept with him, but she could safely assume that by now Phoebe had heard about Prue too. All of it was bound to be a bit too much for her to handle all at once, and she could hardly blame her for being so angry.

But still…it was calmness she needed right now, and control, not more hysterics. After all the heart-wrenching, mind-pounding confusion she'd endured over the course of the last night, Phoebe should have at least been able to offer that much.

And so it was Paige's anger that flared when Phoebe blurted, "COLE HAS POWERS!"

* * *

Cole bit his lip. This was it then, and he would be vanquished. Maybe it was best to go down without a fight. It would kill Paige, seeing him betray her, but if he was honest with her, apologetic, maybe his death would hurt less for her. Maybe her happiness could be preserved.

_No! What the hell are you thinking? Barbas is right, you're a fool too easily susceptible to your emotions. Fight your way out of this tooth and nail, forget the girl. _

But he couldn't, and he knew that he couldn't. His life was a whirl-pool, tossing him around in wild circles but always coming back to the same place. He needed to love, needed to be loved back too. He breathed on it, lived on the sweet air it provided him with. He couldn't function alone. Once it had been Phoebe, but times changed. People changed.

He was learning things about himself, things he wished he could forget. He was learning that alone, he was nothing; that no matter how powerful he became, he would never be happy so secluded; he would never be happy without her. Just seeing her now, so broken, imagining how she might react to the news, seemed to find its way into the very depths of him, like a crack traveling slowly down the length of a shot glass. _Broken._

Every move she made, every laugh, every smile, every time she rolled her eyes...it was monumentous. Paramount. And it was time that he accepted it, time that he realized he could never be whole alone. It was best to die, to get away from all of it. The sisters would take care of that. He pictured Paige at the center, steaming potion cupped in her hand as she drew back to toss it, bottom lip curled back in an angry snarl, and he cringed.

And so he could hardly believe his ears when she leered at her sisters, removing her hands from where they'd been entangled in her thick mane of dark hair to cross her arms. "Oh, _please_, Phoebe. I get that you're hurt, I do, but this is_ ridiculous_."

Cole tried to push down the hope that reared up in his stomach, turning his whole body numb with it. Paige and Phoebe seemed not to notice as they eyed each other, not a lion and its prey but two equally strong lionesses, eyes flaring with anger.

Piper, though, was eyeing him calmly, with one eyebrow raised. Her dark eyes seemed to pound into him, drilling into his mind. He'd always felt that way, as long as he could remember; that Piper could hear his thoughts, that she knew what was going on in his head. It had been Prue doing that once, trying to guard Phoebe from him to the best of her ability.

But it was Piper now, watching over both of them, and he could see the mistrust in her eyes, even as she frequently glanced over at her two younger sisters. She was worried, yes, but she knew about him, knew every thought he had. And it made him uncomfortable.

"She's telling the truth." Piper said finally, pulling her gaze from Cole's to meet Paige's.

"No." Paige insisted stubbornly, glancing over at Cole. "You're lying." Phoebe blinked, but Piper hardly seemed moved, as though she'd seen this coming.

"Sweetie…" she began carefully, but Phoebe cut her to the chase, reaching out to pull Paige to her by her shoulders, a tender look suddenly stealing over her.

"Paige, I wish I was lying but…I'm not." Fiercely, Paige pulled away, leaving Phoebe standing alone with her arms clutching at nothing. Her lips parted, but Cole spoke instead, eyes cast towards the floor.

"She's telling the truth, Paige." He extended a hand, and Paige watched with wide eyes as an energy ball materialized there, pulsing a fragmented electric blue, its current sending a buzzing undertone through the room. "I'm sorry…"

Paige froze, hardly breathing as Cole tossed it carelessly against the ceiling at the far-side of the room. It exploded there, and plaster rained down on all of them, dotting their dark hair with chips of dusty white. "Come with us, honey…We can explain everything." Phoebe offered her hand to Paige, smiling hesitantly. "I know we're all pretty worked up about…well, about a lot of things but…"

As though she hadn't heard her sister's words at all, she turned to Cole, her already large eyes almost double their size. She drew in a deep breath. "Why did you have those powers, Cole? The Elders knew you didn't have them when you were resurrected. You must have gotten them from another demon…for a reason."

"_Paige." _Piper pressed warningly, "Let's go."

"Tell me." Cole wanted to keep quiet, to just die in peace, but something couldn't stop him from answering. "To kill you; all of you."

"Paige...Come _on_."

"Why?" Totally tuning out her sisters, eyes fixed on Cole, she could manage only a mere whisper.

"I…thought I still loved Phoebe." He managed reluctantly. "I hated her…for abandoning me." He met Phoebe's eyes, saw them harden. He wanted to stop, to quit while he had the chance, but Paige seemed practically mesmerized with his words. In a way, so was he. It was so rare he ever had the chance to tell the truth, to really mean what he was saying. It felt refreshing. "I didn't want to be evil, it wasn't a choice. If it had been her, I never would have left her. Never." Phoebe squeezed her eyes shut.

"PAIGE." Piper barked, sensing that the tension in the room was about to snap.

"I was going to use you…to get to your sisters. But then…I couldn't. I can't." Cole's eyes were shadowed. "I wouldn't hurt you." The room was silent for a long time, Piper's eyes pleadingly fixed on her sister even as Phoebe took a step back, hurting from what she knew was about to happen.

And just when Phoebe had thought she had nothing else to lose, Paige glanced up, full lips parting in a tiny smile. "I know."

* * *

We have a few more paragraphs to come surrounding this part of the story, and then we'll move on. Yeah Paige is naive. But she's right this time at least. Cole really does love her. Weird, right? Almost fitting though...I have a nice ending planned. Stay tuned.


	24. Chapter 24

I wrote about four chapters today, this being the last of them. Wow :) Of course you'll be getting them in moderation. So here's Chapter 24. The end is near ^_^

* * *

"PAIGE" Phoebe's eyes snapped open as she darted forward, turning her baby sister around by the waist. "Goddamnit, Paige, he's _lying_!" Paige drew back from Phoebe's touch as though she'd been burned.

"Get _off_ me." She snapped, narrowing her eyes.

"Paige! This is crazy! Look what he's done to this family before! Open your eyes!" Piper was quiet, and for once in her life it seemed that she was in total agreement.

"Paige…" she wheedled, "Just come home."

Paige backed up against Cole, taking his hand in hers. "Why? So you can spend the rest of your lives _fawning_ over Prue while _I_ sit there wishing I had the guts to stay here?" she shook her head, lips pursed. "No. I _can't_."

"Paige" Piper began, "You're a part of this family whether you like it or not and-"

"Not anymore." she murmured, "I can't be." At her sisters' wide-eyed disbelief, she added a soft, "Just _go_."

"We're not going anywhere until you come with us." Piper said firmly.

"Paige…your sisters are right. Go with them." Paige glanced up at Cole as he added regretfully, "They love you and they need you and all I did was use you."

"Yeah? Well so did they."

"Paige, we didn't use you. We lo-" Piper began wearily, but Paige cut her off before she came close to finishing.

"Don't you _dare_ say that!" There was something sharp in Paige's eyes, something that frightened even Piper. "Don't you _dare_ say you love me. You love each other, and you love Prue. And I'm _giving_ that to you. Now you can _thank _me by leaving. _Go_."

"You know that's not true!" Phoebe countered fiercely, "You know we love you! We didn't have to grow up with you for that to happen. There's a connection between us, and it's more than just magic. You're our sister and nothing can cha-"

"I SAID GO H-" Paige broke off, momentarily frozen with disbelief as her sisters shimmered out of focus, the air around them going blue. When she opened her eyes, they were gone.

* * *

"Okay, _how _did she do that?" Phoebe stumbled to her feet, brushing dust from the seat of her jeans.

"Our powers are tied to our emotions." Piper answered, hoisting herself up onto the attic couch. "It stands to reason that Paige's would have expanded, and she was able to orb us back to the manor without saying anything. I think the _real_ question here is…why?"

"I just can't _believe_ her…" Phoebe hedged, sinking onto the couch at her sister's side and gazing at Piper with eye's still frozen with shock. "She's sleeping with Cole." At the bitter observation, a note of monotony crept into her tone, the words rough and unwanted as they left her mouth. The full meaning was finally sinking in. "How can so many things change in such a short amount of time?" Piper smiled consolingly, though her own eyes were troubled.

"Pheebs…I think we should have given Paige more of a chance. I know…I know you were upset. So was I for that matter. I…really never saw that coming." Sighing, Piper rubbed sleep from her eyes. "But I think she's right."

"_Right_? Right _how_, exactly?" Piper opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it at the sound of rustling, followed by a plaintive shriek.

"_Wyatt_?"

"Right here." Footsteps sounded on the stairs and Leo appeared at the opened door, Wyatt in one arm, Chris in the other. "They've been missing their mommy." He added, smiling as he pressed Chris into the crook of his mother's arm before setting Wyatt down on the floor. Smiling to expose a set of crooked white teeth, he toddled off in the direction of the play-pen across the room.

Piper brought Chris closer to her, breathing in the familiar 'baby' smell of powder and warm milk. "I suppose you've…found out why I…"

"Yeah, I guess you can say we have, Leo." Phoebe said coolly. Piper smoothed back the thin, downy fluff of Chris's growing hair, trying not to let the tense atmosphere of the room upset him. He was just as sensitive to things like that now as he had been before his birth. Or…would be…She'd never really been quite clear on that.

"Phoebe I want you to know that-"

"How long have you known?"

"About what…?" Leo asked hesitantly, eyes darting across the room to Wyatt as though hoping that he might be a source of comfort.

"About everything." Phoebe said firmly. "About his powers. About…_them_." Phoebe made a face and, had the situation been less dire, Piper supposed she might have smiled.

"A while." Leo answered finally, sighing heavily. "But I couldn't tell because…" When he had paused for such a long time that it became clear that he seemed not to be in any hurry to say anything, Piper spoke up.

"Because…" she prompted, raising an eyebrow in warning that it was no time to try Phoebe's patience.

"Because, Cole and Paige needed to figure it out on their own. Of course, Cole allowed Paige to stay at his house because he wanted to get her alone, find a way to weaken the stronghold of the Power of Three by getting to her first."

"He wanted to kill her." Piper echoed. "And this is good news because…"

"The Elders strongly believed that Cole's affinity for Paige would keep her from harm. And it was true…Cole couldn't bring himself to lay a finger on her. At least not in any…well_…harmful_ way." He finished sheepishly, realizing too-late that it would have been better to leave off at the facts alone. Luckily, Phoebe seemed too caught up in the supernatural danger Paige had been in, not the romantic.

"_Strong belief_." She repeated incredulously, "The Elders risked Paige's _life_ on the _strong belief_ that Cole wouldn't hurt her because…because…"

"He loves her Phoebe." Something in Phoebe seemed to break. Piper hurriedly handed Chris over to Leo as the tears began to fall, leaking out at first, then pouring from her eyes like a faucet reluctant to reach full power. Enveloping her sister in a hug, she motioned to Leo to go and take the kids with him with a not-so-subtle hand motion.

When the bell-like shimmer in the air told Piper that he'd gone, she drew back, rubbing tears from her sister's flushed cheeks. "I'm so s-se-selfish, Piper! All I cared about was me! I was s-so-so happy to have P-Pr-Prue back that I forgot about Paige. I didn't even c-ca-care that s-sh-she was-."

"Shhh, shhh." Piper soothed, smoothing Phoebe's dark hair back from her face in reassurance. As her tears faded into muted hiccups, she winced, burying her head in her older sister's chest in desperate need of approval.

"I didn't even think of her at first." She whispered in self-retaliation, tears soaking the front of Piper's new Louie Vuitton shirt. "Just me…and Prue. I wanted her so bad, I wanted to hold her so much it hurt me. I didn't even care about Paige…What she must've been going through. Does that make me a bad sister?"

"_No_ honey! Of _course_ not!" she promised, plying her with tissues from a box of Kleenex now. "Sisters have feelings too, you know?" Phoebe offered a watery smile.

"When I…when I saw her with Cole it was like the world flipped upside down. I didn't know who to hate more. I mean already…Prue…I needed her. It was consuming me. And Paige…I never thought."

"Breath, Pheebs, take your time." Frustrated with herself, Phoebe flipped her hair back from her face, rubbing at the tears that slicked her cheeks with balled fists.

"I…I wanted to slap both of them. But still…I thought it was all Cole. I thought he raped her, I thought something awful happened. I thought she needed me. But at the same time I guess I knew…I knew they…Oh _God_, Piper!" Phoebe bit her lip, but nothing could keep the second stream of tears from flowing.

They were silent for a long time before Phoebe confessed softly, "I don't even love him anymore…just who he used to be, not who he is now. I miss things sometimes, the things he said, the way his eyes crinkled, but not him. But I was jealous of Paige anyway. I hated her for having him and I hated her for keeping Prue from us…Still think I'm a good sister?" she added, giving a close-lipped _'mmmm_' of bitter laughter.

"Of course I do." Piper promised, smiling. "When I found out about Prue I didn't hate Paige…I just didn't care. It was like she'd never even existed, like the past three years were just some nightmare. And when she told me she'd known, all that time, I just wanted to strangle her, to rip her in two…But…you know what?"

"What?" As Phoebe looked up at her older sister with tear-filled eyes, Piper felt sixteen again, comforting Pheebs over her first break-up, or assuring her that not _every _'period' would be all so bad as the first time.

"I still miss Prue…And I still want her with me. I'd still do anything to hold her in my arms again and tell her everything that's happened since she was gone. But…not right now, not yet. I'm too worried about Paige." Phoebe blinked, her almond eyes going round so that she bared a suddenly striking resemblance to her youngest sister.

"Do you think he'll hurt her?" she asked, her voice high and shaky with the thought. Piper thought for a long time, eyes narrowing, then murmured softly,

"No. But I think _we_ already have."

* * *

Dundunduuuuuun. For all those that feel this has been lacking demon activity, it will come, I promise :) Im sorry if Im hiding a major plot point behind sisterly/Cole bonding with Paige. But c'mon...I think if I was Paige i'd have had a bit of a harder time being convinced that my new sisters loved me as much as they tried to make it seem. After all, even in the last season when theyre pretty much as close as they are with Prue, they've only known her FOUR YEARS. That's like...the amount of time going through HS. That's like...NOTHING. So I think she'd be a bit more insecure about being loved by them, especially with Prue back in the picture. Poor Phoebe has a lot to deal with though so I thought it only fair to focus on her a bit more. After all, her baby sister not only is talking to her oldest sister who's dead, btw, behind her back but is also sleeping with her ex demonic husband. What a cheery surprise. So yeah...:) comments...critiques...ratings...reviews, all appreciated but not demanded of my lovely readers. hope you enjoyed it.


	25. Chapter 25

I'm sorry for anyone who's been actualy reading this! I was away at Disneyworld for the past like...over a week now I think 8 days, and haven't been able to get to any computers to update! Hope you haven't forgot about me! Sooo Chapter 25, wow we've come far! Thanks to everyone for sticking with me so long :) To give you an idea, I'm putting this up on 10/03. I'm writing that down so I can check once I publish this and see when it actually goes up. It should be a few weeks later if the pattern holds. Anywaaaays, this chapter is aaaaall Paige/Cole. I hope you enjoy it :) There's a lot of dialogue. Sorry for those who don't like that. Action will come soon.

* * *

"So you don't want me here either, then, is that it?"

"No! I just…I think you should go see your sisters…" At Paige's withering glare, Cole leaned back against the bedpost, wringing his hands in frustration. "I thought I've had my share of difficult women, but you are the most stubborn I've ever met in my life! At this point I'd rather take on the whole Underworld powerless than have to go up against you, you know that?"

"You wouldn't have to." She pointed out wryly, "_Little_ something you neglected to mention." He froze. She had him there.

"I still don't understand…" he admitted softly, sensing that he was entering precarious territory but too curious to turn back now.

"Understand what?" Paige tossed her hair back from her face, biting at her lip. He'd known her a long time, almost as long as Phoebe. Something had always stirred in him when he'd looked at her, something fierce. He supposed it was what had driven him to the anger that he'd grown accustomed to in her presence. He'd come to associate her with the very word itself; _anger_. Saying it now, he could see the flames in her hazel-green eyes, could see the way that, when she'd been hurt, she held her head so high he could hardly imagine she'd be able to see where she was going. She was doing that now, eyes downcast, the dimple that indented her chin prominent in the dim, early-morning light that bled through the cracks in the heavy velvet drapes.

_Anger._ And, perhaps, even then, something more…-something he'd been too jaded to see. He could see it now, could see her. What he couldn't see was why he'd been fighting it for so long, too long surely. After all, there were things worse than death, things worse than pain. There were cowards-cowards, like him, who sacrificed what they loved, what they believed in, for a revenge that they hardly felt driven to commit anymore. Twice.

"Why are you still here? I tried to kill you, Paige." he said, voice thin, "I tried to seduce you so that I could _kill _you." The pain in her eyes was terribly clear, but she smiled nonetheless, a brave, teasing smile that turned him cold inside.

"Don't do yourself any favors." She told him coolly, "I've had better than you." Cole opened his mouth to retaliate, then decided against it.

"Paige," he warned, "You should hate me right now. You should be gone, with your sisters, trying to vanquish me, and if you had any sense you would be." His voice was firm, serious, even harsh, but only because he thought that, as a last resort, perhaps it might startle her into reasonable thought in a way nothing else would; because, obviously, there was no proper reasoning that could explain why she was still here with him, sitting with her small feet brushing up against his bare legs, her silky hair touching on his shoulders. _No_-no reason at all.

"Gee, _thanks_." she replied smoothly, the usual high, teasing tone infracted in her voice. She seemed normal enough, seemed ready to handle everything that had been forcibly shoved at her in the past few hours, but could she?

"What's wrong, Paige?"

* * *

Such simple words-'What's wrong?' So many things were wrong, far too many. In fact, Paige was almost sure that the majority of things in her life at the moment were wrong, especially in comparison to those that weren't. So why was it so damned hard to answer? Perhaps because-

"I still don't trust you, you know." she told him calmly. Cole arched a heavy, brown eyebrow in response. Paige quickly glanced away, knowing that looking at him would only confuse her more.

He was so familiar with his mess of short, wild brown hair, his eyes like chips of hard, blue-white ice, and his square jaw, grazed with stubble. Of course he was familiar; he was her brother-in-law, or at least her ex-brother-in-law. How could this ever possibly be right?

And after what he'd done to Phoebe, how_ could_ she trust him? Then again, it'd hardly been his fault. After all, he'd tried to be human, tried to be who she wanted him to be. But in the end, who he_ had_ been, who he _really_ was, had always seemed to over-ride their desires. With The Source of all evil possessing him, he'd hardly been in any position to heed Phoebe's feelings.

Still, he'd lied not only to her but to her sisters as well, and after everything he'd put them through. He'd had his powers all along and…he'd wanted her dead. His first question rung in her mind, a thin echo: _I still don't understand…Why are you here? I tried to kill you…._

Why? Why _was_ she here? Maybe because, after the spat with her sisters, she'd had no place else to go. She was hardly in any mood to see them again, especially not after seeing the look in Phoebe's eyes, as though she could never possibly look at Paige the same way again. She'd changed things by choosing Cole over them though, she knew she had. By staying with him, she'd brought the drill down on some unseen crack, forcing it to open wide into a huge gap that separated them, her sisters on one side, she on the other. But she couldn't be alone, couldn't handle a life without them without _someone_ to comfort her. And who else was there but Cole?

_But that's not true, _the other half of her stubbornly insisted. _You've got Kyle, your _real _boyfriend. Isn't that what he's for-to listen to your problems, to be there for you? _

"Paige?" Cole pressed, worry tainting his low voice. Paige blinked, sucking in breath. "If you don't trust me, why are you here?"

"_I_ don't _know_, okay?" she snapped, cheeks flushing bright red with constrained anger as she fought to keep control. "I don't know _why_ I'm here with _you,_ and not with my sisters, and not with Kyle! I don't _know."_ Quickly, she turned her head from him, her dark hair lashing out like a whip behind her. She sought out something, anything, to focus on and finally found a spot in the wall, lighter where it was touched by the sun. She watched it carefully, breathing in short gasps. The feel of his hands on her shoulders was comforting. It shouldn't have been, and she lurched forward, flinching as she tightened her grip on the expensive sheets she clutched to her chest. Clearly offended, Cole drew back as though the pale skin of her bare shoulders had burned him.

"Paige…"

"I know what you're gonna say and I don't wanna hear it, alright?" She punctuated the steadiness of her short, startled breaths with a sigh. Head in her hands, she leaned up against the soft Egyptian cotton of her pillow. "I _chose_ you." she whispered softly, tilting her head so that all her dark curls piled up at her crown, falling down over her forehead to brush up against her cheeks. Stealing herself against the pain taking root inside of her, she leaned forward, thin, pale fingers absentmindedly tracing the line-like indentations that marked his chest like deeply engraved slashes.

"Paige." His voice firm this time, he caught at her wrist, his fingers easily sliding their way around the entirety of her small hands. "I want to know why you came here in the first place, and I want to know now. I deserve to." A tiny voice in her head laughed and, mimicking it, she smiled, baiting him.

"_You _deserve to?" she repeated, "Seriously, Cole?" Cole bit at his lip. The damned guilt was getting to him again. Paige could see that the simple comment had met its mark. Somehow, though, she didn't feel any better.

"Look…" she added, almost surreptitiously, "If it makes any difference to you…I'm not all that angry. After all, we can just add_ this_ one to our tally chart of your sordid attempts to murder us." At his somewhat peeved expression, she cracked a smile, showing that, yes, she was teasing. "Point is…I'm sorry…About the way we've treated you. I mean…maybe_ this_ time you were wrong but…it was hardly your fault what with The Source inside you. That wasn't you. I know that now." She paused for a moment, her own face reflecting the same surprise on Cole's. "_Way_ to go, Paige." she muttered in bitter disbelief, "Apologize to the demon ax-murderer. Really puts you in a good p-"

She broke off as his lips crashed down on hers, the impact effectively startling her into silent submission. She moved to back away, but his arms encircled her, big hands leaving red prints where they clutched at her arms. Finally, she gave up, melding into him, sharing his warm breath.

It was wrong, she knew that now, but perhaps there was a rightful place for wrong things in this world. Maybe wrong things could be right too, with some consideration. Maybe, just maybe, she was desperate enough to believe that.

_Yes,_ she told herself as he began to pull away, _Maybe I am. _

Wiping at his lips with the back of his hand, he grinned. "Uh…if we're going to start doing that more often, we should _really_ stop trying to kill each other, don't you think?" As she spoke, her voice, already soft and smoky, hitched. Cole's chuckle was dark and smooth as he appraised her through half-closed lids.

"Guess so." he agreed, and then, "Paige, what happened?" Closing her eyes for a moment, she toyed at her bottom lip with her teeth.

"_Alright_…Alright,_ fine_ but…one condition." she breathed finally.

"Name it."

"If_ I_ tell _you_ everything, _you_ tell _me_ too. About Phoebe, about why you wanted to kill all of us and not just her, about why you were working with Barbas…Don't you look at me like that, Mister." she warned smoothly, voice dropping an octave, "I may be good in _bed_ but _that_ does_ not_ mean I can't string two and two together. I want to know it-_all_ of it." Folding her arms, one on top of the other, she raised an eyebrow. "So….have we got a deal?" The two stared each other down for what felt like forever, neither losing confidence, nor even blinking. Finally, Cole smirked.

"You drive a hard bargain." Their eyes met, dark and light, pools of clear, ice-blue water against sharp chocolate and moss green. "Deal."

"You don't really believe that, do you?" Cole asked nearly two hours later, propping his head up against a cream-colored pillow. Paige sighed before glancing up.

"What else am I _supposed_ to think?" she asked in reply, flipping her hair back from her shoulders with an irritable twist of her head. "You should have _seen _Piper when she saw Prue…" Her voice broke off as she fought to keep it level.

"Well, I think it's only fair to expect that." Cole reasoned, failing to meet her eyes when she quickly glanced away. "I mean…it's been three years, but she's still not over her death. I mean…I'm hardly an expert on that, you know, on death? On losing people to it. But…" Paige smiled, bitter.

"_I _am. It's not their love for Prue that bothers me…I'm not_ that_ shallow." At Cole's raised eyebrow she amended, "Alright, yeah, I am, but…but that's not it. It's that they've only _known_ me for _three_ years. After a life-time together between the three of them…what does that mean for me?"

"You love them, though, don't you? I mean…you don't hate them, even if you made it sound like you did. So if _you_ can…" Cole seemed lost amidst the conversation, lost within something he clearly hadn't had much experience with. Love. Still, his initiative with trying to help, with trying to talk it all out, was almost…sweet.

In response to that, more than anything else, Paige's lips turned up at the sides, a reluctant smile. "Of _course_ I don't hate them…I…I love them. But I had no one else _to_ love. I had no one…And they had each other, and losing Prue only brought the two of them closer together. They never needed me like I needed them. And, now that Prue's back…"

"You think they don't need you." Paige turned away, avoiding his gaze under the pretense of fastening her hair into a messy ponytail with the scrunchie around her wrist. Finally, without glancing up, she murmured,

"I think they don't _want_ me."

* * *

That was Chapter 25. Wow, I can't wait to finish off my first FanFic story :) I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm already working on another one. Paige's parents get in the car accident when she's 12 or 13. Grams sees her picture in the papers and the Elders permit her to adopt her and try to make up for the lost years. Lots of sisterly bonding. I'm thinking there will be lots of Glenn. Sound good to anyone? Tell me what you think :) I don't right only Charmed, I do some others, but none are very big fandoms and Charmed has always been my favorite. Aaand once again sorry about the extended absence and my not warning you about it :)


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26 :) Charmed (c) WB

* * *

"_Hear these words, hear my cry, spirits from the other side, come to me, I summon thee, cross now the great divide" _

A long moment of silence passed, the absolute quite almost mocking.

"I don't get it!" Lower lip jutting out in an angry snarl, Piper slammed the Book of Shadows shut with a carefully aimed swipe of her hand. "Why won't she come? I _know _she was there, I _saw _her!"

Phoebe met her sister's eyes with hesitancy. "I know Piper. I believe you."

"But…?" Piper prompted, sensing more. Phoebe sighed, collapsing onto the couch.

"I think she's trying to tell us something." Piper blinked.

"Who, _Paige_?" Phoebe restrained herself from rolling her eyes.

"No, _Prue_. Would you try to stay with me, here?"

"Prue…" Piper echoed, clearly skeptical. "Trying to tell us something? Don't you think that'd be a _bit _easier if we could _talk_ to her?" Phoebe drew in a deep breath.

"Not if she didn't want us to be wasting time talking to her." she murmured finally, "Not if she thought we should be helping Paige." Piper tossed her hands up in exasperation.

"But that's why we're_ calling_ her!" The two locked eyes. Piper was the first to look away.

"If we're being honest with ourselves, we both know that's not true." Phoebe spoke up softly. "We miss her…and it's only natural that we should want to see her. But unless we want Paige to _join_ her, it's time we start working on some sort of a plan."

Piper was reluctant to see the truth in Phoebe's words. Still, she knew she was right. After all, what real advice about Paige could Prue offer them that they didn't stand to learn on their own? Nothing, and yet…seeing her would make things seem so much more worth-while.

"You really think Cole would hurt her?" Before Phoebe could answer, another voice did, deeper and less solid, as though coming from far-away.

"No, but I think Barbas would." Leo frowned as he orbed in, face set, blue eyes troubled.

"Wait, wait, wait…slow down." Piper ordered angrily, "Barbas? Didn't we _just _get rid of him?"

"Apparently not. You've probably all figured out by now that Cole and Barbas have been working together." At the girls' expressions of mingling anger and incredulity, Leo assumed they hadn't. "Uh…" he muttered somewhat less determinedly, "Well…I don't think Barbas ever _really _trusted Cole. I think he was intelligent enough to be able to see a bond forming between Paige and Cole, and was able to assume that, should he die, Cole wouldn't have it in him to get the job done…Apparently he's been storing power. So that vanquish-"

"Oh my_ God_." Phoebe broke in, eyes widening with sudden understanding, "He faked his own death!"

"So to speak" Leo agreed wearily.

"And now he's after Paige and Cole." Piper finished, bringing the palm of her hand to her forehead in exasperation. "We have to _stop _them. _Now." _

"Wait! Before we go…" Phoebe's voice caught. "I think…we should bind Cole's powers. If he's willing to cooperate…If Paige can get him to…"

"Phoebe," Leo intercepted, his voice hushed, "I think Cole is the least of our problems right now…"

"Right…You're right. But…Paige hates us. Do you really think she's going to be very accepting of our help? "

Piper raised an eyebrow, offering a falsely bright smile as she responded, "Uh, at this point, she doesn't really have the time to be choosy, does she now Pheebs?"

"Yeah…Yeah, good point. Alright, Leo?" Squeezing her eyes shut, she reached out a hand for Leo to take. Almost immediately, Piper wrapped her arm around her sister's waist, pulling her closer.

"Right." In a shimmer of glimmering blue lights, they disappeared, Phoebe with her head burrowed in Piper's chest.

* * *

"They don't hate you, Paige." _Or do they? _

Paige jerked upright, hastily rubbing tears from her eyes. "What? What's wrong?"

"That…voice. Didn't you…hear it?" Cole blinked, then leaned forward smoothing a hand through her hair. Paige jerked back roughly, full lips pursed. "I'm not crazy, or stressed, or upset or…or anything! I swear…I heard-Oh God..."

"What? Paige, tell me _what _is going _on_?" She hesitated for a moment. The thought that had just struck her was wild, insane, but then, her instincts had never been wrong before now.

"Cole, tell me the truth, tell me _now_, is Barbas_ still_ alive?"

"What? No you vanquished him, didn't you?" _Vanquished. An operative term, don't you think _Paige_? _

"_No." _she breathed, "No we didn't…" _Smart girl, Paigey. _"I hear him. In my head. Right now."

"_Wait, _what_? _But that's not possible. Barbas never just _speaks_ in your head, Paige; he works _much _more subtly than that. Even if he _was_ alive, why would he- _" _

"Maybe because he wants us to know." she managed, shaking back her hair fiercely.

"Always one step ahead of everyone else." The voice, moments ago only existent in Paige's innermost thoughts, crept into the room like an icy wind, sending angry chills down her back.

"I knew it." Paige managed softly, stumbling to her feet, even as the ghost of a bitter smile spread across her pale face. "I knew it. We can never _really_ get rid of you, can we? You never stay away too long."

Barbas smiled good-naturedly, exposing a set of off-white teeth immersed in steady decay. "I guess, then," he drawled, "You'd know why it is that I'm here, don't you now,_ Paige_?" As his voice touched on her name, the smooth, patronizing tone melded into a pronounced hiss.

Cole's brow furrowed even as Paige tipped her head to the side, smiling in a decidedly mocking manner. "Hmmm….let's see. Oh, that's right, could it be to _kill_ us?"

"Ah, ah, ah." Barbas cooed, his smile easily matching hers. "You're slipping,_ Paigey_." The sound of her nickname, the use of which was allowed only to those strictly considered family, set her to snarling, teeth grinding angrily together as her full bottom lip curled.

A lot of things happened just then, all simultaneously, and the room became such a panic of chaos that almost everyone was confused. Just as Cole, his own fury showing as his bright eyes flashed, shot to his feet, an energy ball materializing in each hand, the air across the room shimmered.

The others were momentarily blinded as Piper, Leo and Phoebe appeared, swathed in a glow of luminescent, blue-and-white glitter dust. Piper moved forward, still cradling Phoebe to her side even as she caught Cole's eye from across the room.

As Leo reached out, catching at her wrist, an angry cry split the room. Losing purchase, Leo stumbled back, watching, mouth partly opened in awe. As though someone had hit the fast-forward button on reality, the scene seemed to lurch into flurried activity before his eyes.

Barbas shimmered out, folding in on himself as the air smoothed his disappearance before easily re-materializing at the other side of the room. Paige tumbled from the bed as the back of his hand met with her cheek, her head opening up wide as it bounced back against the wall behind her, letting forth a virtual flood of crimson blood.

Barbas crouched down for a moment, smirking, and the two disappeared without a whisper of indication, leaving nothing behind but the blood that stood out starkly against the cream-colored walls and the smell, acrid and metallic, that filtered silently throughout the room.


	27. Chapter 27

"I can't _believe_ this! Why doesn't she ever listen? I _told_ her to stay with us. She would've been so much safer!" Piper threw her hands up, easily hiding the fear that seemed to pierce her behind her exasperated pleas. Cole moved forward, his expression very nearly sympathetic, but Piper rounded on him, jabbing a finger in his face as she added through gritted teeth, "And _you_ stay away from my family from now on! You've got your powers and you didn't do a _damn _thing to help her!"

As Leo reached out a comforting hand, tossing Cole an apologetic glance over his shoulder, Phoebe spoke up, her voice soft but determined, "Maybe because this was what he wanted."

"Phoebe" Leo chastised, his voice firm, "This is no time for turning on each other. We all want Paige back; we're united in this cause. And the _best _way to find her and bring her home is to work together; you should know that better than anyone."

"I'm serious Leo." Not meeting Cole's eyes, she added fiercely, "He's been lying to her, to us, all along. He had his powers this whole time. Who's to say he didn't know Barbas was still alive? Who's to say they didn't plan this together?"

"I knew he'd gotten powers." Leo said softly, "But I knew I could trust him. I knew that he wouldn't hurt Paige and I was right, and we need him now if we want to have any hopes of finding her. Paige trusted him, and if you trust her, you will too."

"That's not fair." Phoebe countered, with less conviction now. "You know I trust Paige. But…she's naïve."

"If you've finished talking about me like I'm not here," Cole cut in stiffly, "I have something to say." Three pairs of eyes turned to him. Turning his head up in a gesture of defiance, he continued, "I admit I was out to kill all three of you. I've wanted to before, plenty of times, and I wanted to now. Because of you." His eyes zeroed in on Phoebe. Finally meeting his gaze, Phoebe tilted her chin up, arching her back so that his height had no leeway in the encounter. They eyed each other for a moment longer, tension crackling almost palpably in the air between them, before Cole added, "I don't anymore, clearly. Paige would be dead by now. You know that, Phoebe, all of you do. I could easily have stuck her with a knife when she wasn't looking…"

Phoebe was more than shocked at the look of anger and disgust that came into his light eyes at the words, turning them dark with shadow.

_He really does care, _she thought, reluctant. _Leo is right and my own pain has been blinding me from seeing it. There's no other reason why Cole would have spared her life, there's not a merciful bone in his body. He could only have done it for personal gain and he had, in a way, hadn't he? He loved Paige, couldn't imagine living without her. He did it for himself as well as her. But it's hardly time to be angry. Besides, Pheebs, I think your anger is spent. _

Phoebe inwardly cringes as Piper asked the precedented question aloud, "Why?"

They knew, all of them knew, didn't they? Why ask? Why draw out the pain that Phoebe already felt surging through her? Because why deny it any longer? She had loved Cole, loved him as much as any woman could love a man. He had meant the world to her, had almost meant more, even, than both of her sisters. But not quite enough, and his vanquish had been inevitable. Still, that love had been real, not a figment of either of their imaginations. And pretending it had never existed didn't make it go away. It was something she needed to come to terms with; Cole had always been a chink in her armor.

Anguished blue eyes met Piper's unforgiving brown ones as he answered firmly, "I couldn't."

"Yeah, unfortunately, we've heard that line before, Cole." Piper hedged, raising an eyebrow even as she tossed Phoebe an absentminded glance.

"He never laid a finger on me." Phoebe murmured, hardly believing that she was defending him. "He never hurt me."

"Yes, but knowing you, Cole, you only get crazier and crazier as the years go. Who's to say for sure you won't hurt Paige?"

"Thanks, Piper, I appreciate it, really."

"COULD EVERYONE BE QUIET?" Cole, Phoebe and Piper wore mirrored expressions of disbelief as they turned to Leo. "Paige is being held by one of the most powerful demons we've ever been up against and all the three of you can do is argue! That is not helping her!"

A look of reluctant shame passed over Piper's face as she murmured, "He's right, we need to find a way to vanquish Barbas's ass back to eternity before he does something to Paige."

Nausea building in the pit of her stomach, Phoebe spoke, her voice a whisper, "What if she's-"

"NO" The fierceness in Cole's voice was startling. His tone was raw, almost feral. She hadn't heard the like from him in a while seeing as how usually he was in such good control of his emotions. "She's not dead." He answered with such conviction that Phoebe could hardly muster up the energy to respond, her own trembling voice a stark contrast to Cole's,

"If she is, you'll have hell to pay."

* * *

Paige bit her lip to keep from screaming as she was thrown back against the hard wall of the cavern, her head snapping forward with a jolt of pain as blood gushed from yet another opening, a new slit forming just beneath her hair line. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you keep this up I'll die." she said gruffly, the pitch of her voice growing higher as she added with mock concern, "And then you won't have anyone to play your little games with anymore."

"I wouldn't worry, Paige." he drawled, "This is only necessary until your sisters call for you. From there, I'll just tag along" He flashed a row of uneven, yellowing teeth and Paige's heart sank. Her sisters were…in danger, not to mention Leo. And….Cole.

Digging her long nails into the wall behind her, she clawed her way into a standing position, trying to ignore the multiple wounds that stung and burned, turning the room hazy as the life leaked out of her. Barbas merely smirked. "You know, I never really pegged torture as your _style_, at least not _this_ type." she added conversationally, glancing down at a deep gash in her leg with what she hoped appeared to be mild disdain.

"Yes" Barbas spoke up finally, his voice rough and patronizing in equal measure, "It doesn't really seem my style does it? But I'm angry_, Paige."_ His eyes flashed and for a sickening, nauseating moment, Paige was afraid. He_ would _kill her, and he would enjoy every minute of it.

"Really? You'd think _I'd_ be the angry one, seeing as how you're torturing me and all." She beamed a friendly smile in his direction, as though the two were good friends catching up on old times.

She knew she would pay for her retorts, but even as she flew back against the wall the pain inside her exploding with a fierce passion, she had no regrets. If she was going to go down, she would go down fighting. Better yet, she would go down soon. It was for the best, she knew, that she die quickly. If Cole, Leo and her sisters had already orbed their way down to the Underworld, Leo would sense when she did. Hopefully the knowledge of her death would be enough to convince them to regroup, to prepare for the attack coming their way without her injured self to distract them from the vanquish.

"Trying to protect them, _always_ trying to protect them, aren't you Paige?" Paige rolled her eyes against another wave of pain. In light of all the physical damage her body had suffered, she'd forgotten all about Barbas's root power. She remembered with an onrush of frightened concern that an energy ball to the chest would never end it for Barbas. He would torture her with her mind as well as physically inflicted pain, like a child that played with his food before eating it.

"Against you?" she sneered, "Hardly. I've seen worse, all of us have."

"Ah_, yes ._I admire your….conviction, shall we say? You're hardly frightened of me at all. It's your sisters you're worried about isn't it? So selfless. And….Cole." Paige winced before she stopped herself.

"So it's true then…" he mused, smiling thoughtfully, "And what does Phoebe think about this? She must _hate_ you, don't you think? Imagine how much you've hurt her. After all, what with Cole and Prue, who wouldn't?" Paige turned her chin up, but she couldn't keep her eyes from widening.

"Yes, I know." he answered her unspoken question, his smirk never wavering. "I know about Prue. Why should you be ashamed? You needed her, needed to talk to her. It wasn't as though either of your _living_ sisters were ever around to do that."

_Shut up, shut up, shut up, _she told herself firmly. _He's baiting you, don't answer him, it's exactly what he wants you to do. _

"It must feel awful, losing the love of the only sister who ever really cared about you."

Paige couldn't help herself, "What do you mean?" she managed, her voice dangerously low. Spreading his arms wide, he answered with soft concern,

"Oh, Paige, we both know Piper has never really loved you. The two of you never got along, and even when you did…there was always something missing." Paige choked on her words as she turned away. He was right.

She was alone.

* * *

Very uplifting end to the chapter, lol, well. I guess it's morbid, but I think as a pretty formidable demon, Barbas should be taken more seriously than he has been throughout the series. After all, he is one of the most evil, because when Paige and Phoebe went to the parallel world where everything is opposite, it was Barbas who was the source of all Good.


	28. Chapter 28

This chapters a bit short, no Barbas and Paige action, mostly just Leo, Cole and the girls reacting to her being taken and, of course, figuring out how to get her back. So yeah, it's a bit laid back but a necessary component and I think it was well written enough. Hope you like it :)

* * *

"This isn't working!" As the scrying crystal dropped to the floor with a clatter, Phoebe spun to meet her sister's eyes, her own filled with frustration.

"Of course it's not, Phoebe." Piper sighed, offering a weak smile as she glanced up from her place behind the Book of Shadows. "She's bound to be down there by now; you know the crystal doesn't pick that up."

Phoebe nodded reluctantly. "I know." she managed, her voice dull. "But what else can I do?"

"I'm thinking of the To Call a Lost Witch spell…" Piper returned slowly. Leo glanced up from his place on the couch, eyes narrowing in confusion.

"You think that'll work? It's likely Barbas would have chosen a place guarded against that. And if he hasn't, it's probably a trap."

"I _know_, Leo but what else _can_ we do?" Phoebe clenched her hands into fists as Piper spoke, eyes working furiously to keep hot, frustrated tears from boiling over.

"I think we need to calm down and look at this from a different angle" Leo answered softly, "Your powers are tied to your emotions and, right now," he added, shooting Phoebe a questioning glance, "You're all very….high strung."

"I think it's worth the risk." Cole, silent for the majority of the past hour, too involved in his frantic pacing of the attic room to speak, added his low voice to the conversation, running a hand through his mess of hair. "Do it. Now."

"I don't-"

"He's right" Phoebe interrupted Leo almost immediately, eyes darting to Piper as she crossed the room to her side. "We've got to try. Leo could you get us some rosemary and cypress from the cabinet over there? And a yarrow root."

After nodding in brief acquiescence, Leo bent over to slide open the cabinet's lock. His fingers thumbed through the contents inside, the tinkling of glasses a familiar sound in the attic's enveloping silence, until he came away with a tiny jar and two Ziploc bags.

Phoebe accepted the jars without comment, pressing them silently into Piper's hands before requesting a silver mortar and pestle, which was quickly passed to her.

The contents of one of the two bags came first, a sprig of fresh cypress, followed by the second bag, yarrow root. From the little jar, she tilted out a small measure of crushed rosemary from Piper's kitchen arsenal. The work with the pestle didn't require much muscle-work. After all, there were hardly any ingredients. By the time she'd finished, the cloying scent of rosemary filled the cramped attic room. Instead of acting as a relaxant, as it usually tended to, the smell seemed to have no effect whatsoever on any of them, and Phoebe corked the jar, sealed the bags, and handed them to Leo with virtually no change in expression at all.

Nodding briefly in silent affirmation, Phoebe slid her hand across the surface of the book to Piper's. Her hand was cold, colder than ice, as though she'd died. Phoebe slipped her hand into Piper's frozen one, squeezing tight, forefinger absentmindedly rubbing at her wrist as though to bring life back into it.

"_Power of the witches rise, _

_Course unseen across the skies, _

_Come to us who call you near, _

_Come to us and settle here."_

Pausing only to glance at each other, Piper wrest her hand from Phoebe's. Quietly, Leo handed her the knife. Without the slightest hesitance, Piper brought it down on her left hand. It made its mark at the very center of her palm and she quickly held it over the mortar, exchanging the little dagger with Phoebe before using her other hand to squeeze out all that could be salvaged. Phoebe's blood quickly joined Piper's, the acrid, metallic stench of it mingling oddly with the soft, floral scent of the rosemary.

"_Blood to blood I summon thee, _

_Blood to blood return to me." _

The room was silent as well as painstakingly ordinary, the lack of any magical commotion horribly obvious. "It didn't work…" Phoebe's desperate words reverberated in the quiet room, echoing off of wood paneled walls. "Why didn't it work?"

Just as she turned to Piper, both sisters disappeared in an unanticipated swirl of white light.

Cole blinked in surprise even as Leo darted forward, grasping at the thin air where Piper had been standing not five seconds earlier. "That wasn't what was supposed to happen, was it?" Cole asked, a note of frustration and uncertainty masking the fear in his tone.

"No! No it wasn't!" Leo's hands hung in the air, moving from place to place as though in search of something solid but invisible. "I don't understand…" he managed finally, hands dropping to his sides in defeat. "That shouldn't have happened, that spell has never backfired before. It was meant to take Paige to us, not the other way around."

"Wait," Cole started, frowning, "You mean you think that took them to Paige?" Leo nodded.

"I can't imagine anywhere else it could have taken them…But it wasn't supposed to work that way…"

"So you've said." Cole returned, more absentminded than hostile. "C'mon." Leo glanced down as Cole's hand gripped his own, pulling him forward.

"What?" he asked, confused wrinkles moving forward to frame his eyes like frightened parentheses.

"We're going to find the girls." It was a moment before what Cole was saying truly sunk in. By that time, Cole had already shimmered out, leaving no trace of himself behind, no proof that he existed at all.

"Guess you're helping us again," Leo murmured, "Just like old times." Shaking his head to ward off all encroaching distrust and misconceptions, he disappeared in his own way, a swirl of blue lights glimmering in the air even after he'd gone.

* * *

lalalala content. Rate or review if you have time to? This has got to be my shortest comment ever. Congrats to me. Better stop afore i make it long ;)


	29. Chapter 29

And we approach the end dun dun dun. Theres probably a fair amount of chapters left, but this is about the home stretch. I'm not quite finished writing it yet, but I'm extremely close. I've actually been working on an HP marauders fanfiction (i swear im secretly married to Sirius Black HE NEVER DIED IT WAS A LIE) but I wouldn't post it on here unless I got far enough into it that I was confident I'd definitely finish it. I don't want to disappoint ^_^ So without further ado...

* * *

"Ugh" Phoebe wrinkled her nose, "When will demons discover Lysol?" Piper cracked a thin smile.

"Don't hold your breath for it, sis." The two paused, glancing around to gauge their surroundings. It was dark, but then, wasn't the Underworld always that way? And then the stench, as Phoebe had so aptly pointed out, that seemed to cling to every cavern and cave beneath the ground, a rotting, fetid sort of smell accompanied by an acute sense of claustrophobia.

The corridor was narrow and unremarkable, flanked by two parallel walls of pockmarked stone. The small area held no defining qualities, but Piper suspected that Paige couldn't be very far. Instincts aside, the spell had clearly worked backwards, bringing them to her instead of vice-versa. There could be no other explanation. That was probably all for the best; it was only against Leo's anxious judgement that had kept them from reversing the spell in the first place.

Piper was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of heels beating time on the well worn ground. She leapt forward, hurrying after her sister as she rounded a bend and disappeared from sight. "Phoebe, slow down!" she snapped imperiously, then, "Shit!" as she stubbed her new, leather booted toe on a crater in the uneven floor.

"Piper!" Panic clawed at Piper as she caught the note of fear in Phoebe's voice. "PIPER"

"Alright, alright, I'm coming." She emerged in a clearing, lit dimly overhead by faint white lights. The ground had gone from brown topsoil to a dusting of mahoganies and red-browns and the room felt drier somehow, as though sucked of all moisture. A figure sat, hunched in the corner, her dark hair falling over her face.

"Phoebe…?" Piper repeated tentatively. Heart beating wildly, she practically skidded to her sister's side, grazing her knees as she quickly dropped into an awkward kneel.

"Paige…" If Phoebe hadn't whispered her name, Piper thought she wouldn't have recognized her youngest sister.

Paige was splayed on the floor, her leg thrown out, and perpendicular to her waist, as though the bone structure had been fractured. Her bright, red-brown hair had darkened where it was clotted with congealed blood from various wounds that surrounded the rim of her head like a sick crown. Her eyes were swelled shut, both wrists black and blue and twisted at odd angles to her arm. Her shirt, a white, beaded Armani affair that Piper half-suspected belonged to Phoebe, was shredded and torn almost beyond recognition. Her acid wash skinny jeans, already riddled with holes at the knee from Paige's multiple accidents due to her lack of coordination, were now hanging from her legs in ragged pieces. One boot was left, a white, stiletto one that scrunched at the top, though the other was nowhere to be found. Piper remembered that they were Paige's favorites. She felt a spasm of ridiculous distress. She'd loved those boots. Where was the matching one?

"LEO" Phoebe's voice, raised but trembling, jolted Piper back to reality.

"Is she breathing?" Phoebe's eyes widened her mouth closing tightly against another scream. Her fingers, index and middle pressed together, flew to Paige's throat with astounding dexterity. A butterfly pulse greeted her and she drew back with an expression of co-mingling relief and concern.

"She's….she's breathing. But it's faint. I think we should-"Phoebe broke off at the sound of steps, beating time on the cavern floor. She glanced up, meeting the cold eyes of Paige's attacker as he smiled patronizingly.

"And soon she won't be breathing at all. Now…who'd like to go next?"

* * *

"Oh, God, Piper…" Cole glanced up, meeting Leo's eyes with less than mild irritation.

"_Must_ you be so cryptic?"

"I can sense her…She's been hurt." Wincing, Leo pressed a hand to his side, holding to the wall with the other to keep from doubling over. A new clarity filling Cole's vision, he asked, a note of excitement creeping into his voice,

"Can you tell where they are?" Nodding, teeth grit against the awful pain of it, Leo pointed a finger. Without so much as a glance over his shoulder for Leo's health, Cole shot off, running faster than he had in a long time.

His heart was pounding like he couldn't remember since before his death. Everything seemed soft and sharp at the same time, every rock and pebble and wall possessing a thin, veil-like glow to it. Everything shimmered in and out of focus, but he hardly cared.

Paige. How could he care about her so much? How could one person feel so much of another inside of them, as though her soul had taken up residence alongside his? He'd hated her, hated her for every breath she took, for every sarcastic word she'd uttered, but now a life without her seemed hollow and empty, a flagrant impossibility.

And Phoebe, she was in his mind too, pressed to the side perhaps, but a distinct worry remained. No, he could never stop loving her. Coming to terms with that had been the primary step towards overcoming his obsession with her. She didn't hurt him anymore, or at least not directly, not of either of their own volitions. But the thought of her dead, lying on the floor, cold in a grave, the light gone from her eyes, still did things to his nerves, made them crack;she couldn't die-there had _always _been Phoebe.

Much as he hated to admit it, all three girls were important to him, even Piper. Even Prue. The news of her return had affected him more than he'd thought advisable to let on in front of Paige. As it was, she'd been shaken enough by the whole ordeal. Sisters could be cruel sometimes. If he'd learned nothing else from the girls, there was that.

And Paige, she couldn't take that. After living for over a thousand years, Paige's twenty and some odd years framed her to be, in his opinion, no less than a little girl. And Paige seemed more like a petulant child to him than anything else. If not petulant, then lost and confused. Still, letting anyone but herself in on that little tidbit was probably a secret worth more than life to her. She wasn't so strong, or at least not as strong as the front she put up. And all of the events of the past few weeks had definitely begun to take a toll on her, emotionally and otherwise.

A part of him hated himself for caring so much, for the jolt of worry that struck him like a bolt of electricity whenever she was even remotely within the range of danger. When he'd been with Phoebe things had been different, more black and white. Caring for her had been a stimulant, a source of inspiration. Now, with Paige, it only brought pain.

Because Cole wasn't fooling himself anymore. A relationship could no more work out between he and Paige than it ever could have between he and Phoebe. There were no preconceived notions, no leaps of faith. Soon he would be dead in the ground, this time for good and, even if not, they could never be together. Paige liked to think she could be hard-hearted, that she could be indifferent but she couldn't, not to anyone and especially not to her sisters. Not to Phoebe. She could never ignore Phoebe's pain, could never pretend that what she wanted wasn't hurting her. And she would give him up. Because in the end, that was what mattered-Phoebe and Piper, The Power of Three, her sisters. Not _her_, and certainly not her needs.

She was selfless, and that was what had been the last straw, what had finally made him realize it was her he wanted and not Phoebe. For the longest time Cole had been working towards finding her, towards pleasing her, towards becoming good. He'd put his whole heart and soul into it, metaphorically speaking, seeing as she'd so often pointed out to him that he had neither. He'd done everything in his power and beyond to be exactly who she wanted him to be. And along the way, perhaps he'd lost himself, lost sight of who he really was.

Paige, she was different. For her, everything was all or nothing. And when she'd given in, when she'd really fallen for him, she'd accepted him for who he was without question, had even forgiven him for murder attempts. He wasn't sure, had their roles been switched, that he himself would have been able to do the same. But that was Paige, diving headfirst or not taking the leap at all.

He would save her, if it was the last thing he did. And it just might be.

* * *

Eck, emotional breakthroughs-I am SO bad at them especially when they're coming from someone as cynical as Cole. But realizing every emotional tilt-o-whirl story should have one, I gave it a try. Hope it wasn't cringe-worthy! Overall I like this chapter ^_ ^Comment if you've got the time to, please, but otherwise I hope you enjoyed!


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30! Well wow, I honestly never thought we would make it this far. Happy 30th Chapter, thanks to everyone for actually sticking with me through this ^_^" For once in my life I won't hold you back any longer.

* * *

"Phoebe, we've got to get out of here and find Paige, figure a way to wake her up or it can turn into a coma…" Piper's voice boomeranged about the low-ceilinged cavern room, rebounding off pockmarked, gray walls and returning to her in dim echoes.

"It's no use. She won't." Phoebe answered, her voice oddly strangled. She shifted uncomfortably in place, tugging at the manacles that chained her to the wall. It was a bit primeval, especially for Barbas, definitely not his style. But who was she to judge? He'd won, after all, hadn't he? Paige was dead, or practically. They had seen her before, crumpled on the floor, her leg twisted backwards, her brown curls slick with blood. "And it's my fault."

Piper glanced up, blinking fatigue from her eyes. "Phoebe…you know that's not true. Paige got herself into this mess…." Smiling almost admiringly she added, "That's just what she _does._ But we'll pull through this…all of us will. You can't blame yourself."

"Don't try to make me feel better. It's true…I made such a big scene about Cole…when I've moved on. Leslie and I are doing great…I think I really do like him." A grin rose up like an unexpected beam of sunshine in a storm, but it quickly faded. "And now I blew it for Paige. I should have been more understanding."

"Maybe both of us should have." Piper conceded, sighing. Phoebe's eyes narrowed. "About Prue, I mean." she added in answer to her younger sister's unasked question. Phoebe frowned.

"Don't make me guiltier than I already am. I never even had a chance to confront her about Prue." The name set a hollow feeling in her chest. Prue was dead. Would Paige be joining her soon?

"No, I know that. I mean…in the long run." A moment of silent thought passed before Phoebe relented.

"Explain."

"Well…We love Paige, right?"

"Uh, yeah." she responded immediately, flashing white teeth in a toothy, nervous grin. "Of course."

"And how often do we tell her that?" To this, Phoebe had no answer. Sensing it, Piper added softly, "Of course we love her. We know that. But…does she?" Phoebe snorted.

"That's…silly. I mean she….I…We always…" Piper shook her head.

"No, we don't. And when we talk about Prue, and about the way things used to be, it must seem like we're bonding together over it…without her. Paige couldn't be there for the years she missed. It's not her fault…But she's got to feel very pushed aside by all this. I'm not saying what she did was right but I think…if we'd been more open with her about our emotions, she might not have kept Prue a secret." Phoebe opened her mouth to speak, thought better of it, and sighed in defeat.

"Well I don't know what good that's going to do us now, Piper. I mean she's-"

"We will save her Phoebe. We always do."

Leaning her head back against the hard, stone wall, Phoebe murmured, "Right, I know. It's just that..."

* * *

"Paige? Paige, wake up."

She lay silent on the ground, hands cuffed behind her with a length of thick metal coil. Dark curls tumbled past her face. She'd clearly been hurt badly what with her leg twisted back, her nose broken, her throat and exposed chest caked with blood and even her clothes, shredded beyond repair.

Even imagining the amount of pain that came with such damage was unthinkable…The agony involved…Every slash, every rip and tear…Why? Torture wasn't Barbas's style. Unless…

It was his fault, all his fault. Of course. Barbas knew he had the upper hand. Why not flaunt it, shove it in Cole's face; really beat Paige down to a pulp before killing off the sisters? He was getting back at him for backing down on the plan.

Cole's hands clenched into fists as he watched her, every tiny scratch standing out to him like Sharpie on white paper.

Her eyes were shut, her face paler than porcelain, and nearly twice as cold. Almost as though…

Cole's eyes went suddenly round as he grasped at her wrist, fingers searching desperately for a pulse. He let out a sigh of relief at the fluttering beats, farther between, perhaps, than they should have been, but definitely audible. "Paige" he repeated, shaking her, "Wake up."

Rolling his eyes, a sudden spike of impatience winding its way through him like the proverbial thorn in his side, he flicked his wrists. Unraveling themselves, the chains fell away. Deflecting the question of why Paige had been so shabbily guarded (merely a cluster of lower-level demons with hardly any more experience than Paige herself) and why, after the tiny welcoming party, she was being held with nothing but some simple chains, he hoisted her up into his arms. She fit there, in the crook of his arms, like a glove, weighing hardly more than a child. She'd lost a lot of weight in the past few weeks, but he'd hardly noticed. Her hair tumbled over his shoulders now, the feel of it oddly comforting. He shifted her from one hand to the next, worried with the lack of expression in her face. How long had she been passed out like this? She must have lost a lot of blood. Fleetingly, he imagined how angry she would be at being picked up like a child were she awake.

"LEO!" he called in a loud whisper, shifting her absentmindedly from one arm to the other. "LEO!" Muttering angrily to himself, he slipped out the way he'd come, snaking his way along the steadily widening corridor until it opened out onto a tiny, low-ceilinged cavern. As Cole laid her on a flat length of stone, Leo appeared, hissing even before his figure had finished forming,

"Cole, you know I couldn't come right there in the clearing, Barbas would have sensed it." Hating that he was right, Cole responded with a dark,

"Whatever. Just heal her." Breathing calmly out through his nose, Leo joined Cole kneeling at the flat-surfaced rock. Cole breathed a sigh releasing a veritable goldmine of relief as Leo's hands found their place over Paige's still chest and began to glow. The cavern was bathed in warm, yellow-white light. Cole watched with reluctant fascination as Paige's wounds began to fold in on one another, the head wounds first, patching themselves infused with a bright shine. Slowly, her eyes blinked open.

"Hey" Her voice was rough, perhaps, he thought, because of the slash of red at her neck. Cole steeled himself to keep looking at her, to try not to let show how deeply he was affected, but it was hard.

Then, suddenly, with no indication but the widening of her eyes as they found Leo's, the wounds began to heal more slowly. It was a gradual thing, a slight of hand, but Cole could see, could see a gash on her leg, one that had begun to close up earlier, that was shivering with light but had hardly moved in any other way whatsoever.

"What's going on Leo?" he muttered, eying her worriedly.

"She's resisting." Paige struggled towards a sitting position but Cole pushed her back down with a strangled,

"Are you_ crazy_? Do you want to die of blood loss? Lie down and let Leo heal you." Shooting him a narrowed-eyed glance, she complied, but it was clear there was nothing more to be done. The glow faded from Leo's hands as he withdrew them, turning to face Cole.

"Well?" Addressing Paige, not Cole, Leo frowned.

"You're resisting." he repeated, confused. Something strange flashed across Paige's eyes but she quickly smiled.

"Whatever. Where are my sisters?"A look of frustration passed over Leo's face.

"I couldn't find them…I was trying to track them when Cole called, but I wasn't having much luck. They're safe, but…I don't know for how much longer."

"Well that," Paige said firmly, stumbling as she got to her feet, "is _not_ acceptable. Where were you when you had the best reading on them?"

"PAIGE!" Leo and Paige whirled around to meet Cole who was eyeing her with a mixture of indignation and disbelief.

"_What_?"

"You're bleeding. Everywhere. You're in no condition to go walking around. Let Leo try to heal you again, maybe this time…"

"It's not my fault!" Leo said, defensive. "For some reason Paige isn't allowing me to heal her. But…Cole is right." he added, turning to Paige. "You really can't be walking around like that…"

"I'm _fine_." she insisted fiercely. "Can you sense them now?"

"Yeah…" Leo answered tentatively. "I can. And I'm going to try to find them. But you…you've got to stay here. For whatever reason, I can't heal you and you're losing blood fast…"

"Look, I'm going to find them. But I can do it with or without your help. Your choice." Leo and Cole locked eyes for a precarious second but finally Leo sighed grudgingly,

"With. Come on."

"Leo, are you _kidding_?" Cole asked their backs as they headed for the cave opening opposite where they'd come in. "You can't let her walk around like that!"

"No, Cole, what I can't do is let her walk around like this _alone._"

"Well how about this one, don't let her do either!"

"I'm her whitelighter" Leo snapped, losing patience, "Not her father. I can only guide her, not order her."

"This is a matter of life or death, I think your precious Elders can make an exception!"

"This isn't about rules, it's about principals, Cole and that's clearly something that you'll never understand"

"_Boys."_ Paige quipped, leaning up against the cavern opening's wall to support the weight she couldn't, "Don't let's make this more difficult than it has to be."

"I'm not letting you _die_, Paige. This isn't a joke."

"Cole, you're_ crazy_ if you think she's going to turn around and let her sisters _die_. You know the sisters as well as I do and so you should know it just doesn't work that way! You're letting your love for Paige get in the way of your better judgment!"

"Oh, like you think I'm not worried about the others too? Besides, don't tell me you're not working harder to heal Paige because you need her to help save Piper."

"You know that isn't true! I nev-" Leo glanced over his shoulder, blinking with confusion. "Now look what you've done! She's...gone."

* * *

Knowing Paige, they probably started to bore her. Lol anyway, there were a lot of mistakes on this one and it's a good thing I read it over cause I normally don't! If you seen any grammar, spelling or even context or story consistency mistakes, feel free to call me on it, and I'll edit that. I must have been on drugs when I did this, lol, i replaced 'clothes' with 'close' in one sentence before i fixed it. Anywaaaay, hope you enjoyed. I would love any reviews any of my readers have time to spare for, but if not I just hope you liked it.


	31. Chapter 31

Have I left you guys hanging? It feels like it's been a long time but I can't be sure. I know it's bad to post this late, I try to keep out of the habit, because no one will see the notification but I feel like it's been too long, hah. Okay, so heres Chapter 31, hope you guys like!

* * *

_There is no one more ridiculous in the entire universe than those two, _Paige thought wryly to herself, shaking her hair back from her face as she let out a wracking cough.

_Goddamn Cole, Leo was about to come with me. He'd have been able to sense them. But so are you, _an annoying voice in her head told her condescendingly. _I mean you _are_ part white-lighter, aren't you? _

"Is this all some kind of sick joke?" she muttered to herself, frowning. "Alright, fine..."

The only thing Paige felt as she stood, in the very midst of demon central, with her eyes squeezed shut, was stupid, and perhaps a little awkward.

_This is moronic, _she thought gruffly, trying to keep from fidgeting. She was doubly aware of all of the bruises, gashes and gaping holes that scattered across her body, but certainly no more in tune with 'sensing'.

But then, out of nowhere, something…A dark, fizzy, angry sort of motion, and another thing, light and bouncy, a floating sensation.

"Leo and Cole…" Trying to contain her excitement, sure that if she let it it would ruin everything, she focused on the light and dark, and then moved away from it, in the direction of where she was standing now. And then there was a tug, light at first, but then stronger. Less white auras, like Leo's, these were brighter- wildly coalescing rainbows of color and movement. And close by, dark energy, similar to Cole's. Not as strong as Cole, no, but angrier, more feral, more evil.

"Phoebe and Piper." She sighed, biting at her lip. "And Barbas. He's close."

* * *

"You_ let_ her escape? With all due respect, sir, why would you do that?" Barbas smiled patiently, though there could be no denying the bitter edge in his voice as he answered,

"If I know Paige, and I do, I know all of them Carvyl, then she'll return for her sisters, whether or not the white-lighter can heal her." Carvyl blinked.

"And why sir," he asked, rather impatiently, "Would the white-lighter be unable to heal her?"

"Ah" Barbas' smile widened as he lifted an index finger, "Yes, why would Leo be unable to heal his charge? Can you think of any reason that might happen?" Understanding dawned on Carvyl's usually blank expression.

"She's already dead!" he concluded excitedly. Barbas sighed into cupped hands before his head snapped back up.

"No, you _idiot_!" he hissed, "She's resisting Leo's healing! And why?" he continued, content to answer his own questions with the knowledge that he would hardly be able to stand one more of Carvyl's dimwitted answers, "Because she thinks it's _all her fault_ that her poor, itty bitty_ sisters_ are going to die. She's guilty. And she blames herself. And that, my _friend_, is why she cannot be healed."

"I still don't understand." Carvyl said, unsurprisingly. "Even if that's true, how will that help us?"

"Paige will already be weak when she comes to rescue her sisters." he explained patiently.

"She would never come to rescue her sisters-not in her condition! She's bleeding internally!"

"Ah, one might think." Barbas smirked, his flash of yellowing teeth making their appearance. "All three girls are the same, Carvyl. She will come. She'd never let anyone try to save her sisters for her. Their bond…is transcendent, or at least they seem to think it is, which works in our favor." He shrugged. "She'll risk her life to save them. She won't survive. None of them will. But hopefully, if I can infect the mind of the sister most emotionally opposed to Cole, I can take him down with them."

"Paige?"

"Phoebe."

* * *

Paige's eyes darted anxiously from side to side as she rematerialized, but they met with nothing but a cavern as similar as could be to every other one she'd seen in the Underworld. After years of visiting, she'd never really gotten a feel for navigation. Everything looked the same: cold and dank and uninviting.

It was what lay on the far side of the room that struck apprehension and ecstasy in her heart, that made the tiny cavern different from all the other ones. "Paige!"

Her footsteps took her quickly across the room, a beat of even relief filtering its way through her body. "Phoebe? Piper? Oh _God_, I'm so, _so_ sorry, I was so _stupid..._I mean not _stupid_, I knew what I was doing, I still think I meant what I said, but I-"

"_PAIGE_" Piper's voice was firm, though she_ was_ smiling, if not somewhat warily. "Untie. Now." Phoebe smiled too, a weak one, and quickly glanced away. Paige felt her heart plummet. It was as though the roles had reversed. It was Phoebe, now, that knew she had the right to be angry, and it appeared she was taking it seriously. She refused to meet her eyes.

"Shackles" Both sets appeared in her outstretched hands without hesitation and Phoebe and Piper fell to their knees with the sudden release.

"That was _way_ too easy." Piper snapped, dusting dirt and debris from her jeans as she struggled to her feet. "And my _God,_ Paige_ look_ at you!" Paige really wished Piper hadn't said that. With the words, a startling reality burst back down upon her, and the pain in every breath she took seemed to multiple a thousandfold.

"Ugh, I'm _fine._" she muttered, flushing. "I wish everybody would stop _saying_ that."

"You're bleeding, Paige, all over your clothes! Phoebe, look at her!" Phoebe's eyes flicked in Paige's direction and back in record time.

"You should let Leo heal you." Her voice was thin and expressionless, a monotone. Paige had never felt so hollow in her life. Was this how it would be from now on? Would Phoebe never forgive her? No, it was true, she still wasn't sure she believed that either of her sisters would ever care for her as much as they did Prue, that hadn't changed in the past few hours. But losing them, almost having to face their deaths, had taught her sternly that prodding their wounds wouldn't help their relationship to grow. Her hurt, her pain, was something that had always been bottled up and something that, clearly, should have remained so. It had been a risk telling them that, had been a risk reacting so angrily to their proclamations of love, and one that she shouldn't have taken.

But Phoebe…Phoebe had so many reasons to hate her, to despise her. Would she ever look at her the same way again?

"I-uh…Yeah. I will." She decided it was pointless telling them that Leo hadn't been able to heal her. She didn't need them puzzling over it, not when she already knew why.

Turning suddenly, Phoebe spoke up harshly, "Alright Barbas, we haven't got all day, where are you?" Piper whirled around.

"Are you_ crazy_?" she hissed, eyes widening with disbelief. _"Why_ are you _provoking_ him? We haven't got any vanquishing potion, we're sitting ducks!"

"Eager as ever to see me, I take it?" Piper's eyes closed in reluctant acceptance, her mouth a thin line, as the room shifted in familiar greeting. Turning to face Paige, Barbas smiled. "I see you've healed up nicely." he observed sarcastically. "Wherever is your boyfriend?"

Paige flushed. "Barbas, we _will_ vanquish you, and if you haven't figured that out already, you're even more stupid than you look." Despite the venom in her tone, there was nothing she could do to keep the trembling from her voice. Not only was she emotionally exhausted and hurt, but she was in even more pain than she'd been before, though a few moments earlier she would have dismissed the idea as impossible. She just wanted to sleep for decades, then wake up and find out this had all been an awful nightmare. But then Cole…She wouldn't have seen him, wouldn't have spent the time she had with him. At least if she died, she had that. But if her sisters were to die…she could never forgive herself.

"Strong words." Barbas murmured sleekly, but she could see from the amused glint in his eye that he knew that she was tiring, that there wasn't much more that she could take.

_Go to hell, I'm not going down without a fight, _she wanted to say, but she couldn't bring herself to speak.

"Think, Paige, think what he's done. How many times has he tried to kill you?" Paige blinked.

"You're not trying that again, are you?" she asked tonelessly, raising an eyebrow.

But already the images were slipping through her mind like sand through a sieve, a video tape suddenly stuck on rewind with no chance of going forward.

Memories came tumbling back, memories she'd long forgotten, memories she'd long pushed to the far recesses of her mind.

* * *

Okay, theres Chapter 31 :) A lot of different scenes, but not exactly riveting, I know. Hopefully you guys appreciated it anyway and enjoyed it ^_^


	32. Chapter 32

To any of you who actually read this story, I know I've neglected you. :/ I just got back to school from a vacation and its been very, very busy getting myself back on schedule. I've been staying up all night, coming home from school, sleeping and then waking up at midnight to start the whole thing over again so I really haven't had much free time. My fault. So I'm going to post double what I normally post today, around six or seven pages instead of three or four, so I hope you guys don't mind the extra reading.

* * *

A dark room. No, not a room, but something less real, something less connected. She could see, could breathe, could feel the touch of fresh air on her skin, but it wasn't her, not really. There was the rotten mortar and sweat and...something more ancient, a sharp, sand-dust sort of scent that came to her as though from another time entirely.

And that voice, her voice, speaking through her mouth, saying words she didn't want to say. And when she tried to speak a pain, or perhaps more a dull constriction, pushing down at her from all sides, silently warning her that, no, she was only a spectator now.

And a voice, a familiar one: Cole's voice, so sharp and in focus, so taunting.

"Did I ever tell you, Jeric, that I have eyes for only one witch? How's the spell going?"

The impulse to speak, to curse Cole to eternity, to vanquish his sorry ass into the ground, was all encompassing but even something so simple as to reply was impossible. That other version of her, the one controlling her, spoke instead, utterly confident, more at home in her own body, she thought, than she herself had ever been.

"I was just about to finish it." Speaking felt wrong, strange. It was her lips moving, her mouth, but it wasn't her. Paige moved to squint or even to bite her lip, the way she normally did when she was frustrated or angry, but the tiny impulse of an action was swatted away with no trouble at all.

"She can't expel the witch's soul without the Power of Three. How are you gonna get it for us?

"Look around. We're only one sister short." Cole's voice was amused, perhaps even gloating. The old, stagnant, perhaps even reminiscent urge in her to reach out and orb his balls to the moon was so overpowering she thought she'd hardly be able to breathe, yet she was no longer the one in control and, somehow, she continued to breathe steadily.

"Yes" came the answer, annoyed, even anxious, "but your love is a mummy. You can't expect her to read a spell."

"Well, she doesn't have to. If her spirit is trapped inside, all her sisters have to do is touch her to tap into the power." The man looked thoughtful for a moment, as though trying to quash the hope that Cole was right. Paige felt sick.

"And what about the third witch? I doubt she'll read the spell willingly."

_Piper, _she realized with mingling confusion and frustration. _If I could only…_

"Leave it to me. I can be quite persuasive." The smirk in his voice, the arrogance…It was unbearable. And his eyes, the way they caught hers…As though he was looking right into her soul, hers not the invader, and could see her, could sense what she was feeling; as though he was amused by her pain, amused by her inability to make even the slightest movement. And well he should have been. It was his fault.

"You're delusional if you think I'm gonna choose between my sisters."

Paige was in the attic, the feeling of immovability gone. No longer caged, it was as though she were floating above the scene, a ghost in a past event, a remnant, or a scrap of the future, of what would be. It was odd, this time, not the same as before. She was well aware of what she was seeing by now, even if she'd never seen it before. She was an observer, a spectator, acting as herself in the present, not in the past. And she understood better than anything what Barbas was trying to do now that her mind was no longer muddled with the thoughts of the Paige of her past.

_He wants to turn me against Cole, _she thought softly, _I just won't watch. Things have changed. I'm different now, both of us are. _

"Am I? Isis is the only one who knows how to revive Phoebe and she's not gonna do that unless you cast a spell to reject Paige's spirit from her body."

She couldn't help herself though, couldn't look away, much as she hated herself for it. She had to know, had to hear it all, everything that she'd missed. How could he? How could he hate her so much?

A well of fury rose up in her alongside the hurt and disbelief, rage as thick and red as the veils that fell across her eyes like angry exclamation points. How? How could he?

She'd forgotten, perhaps, over the years, how real, how focused and honed, his hate for her had truly been. Watching her die, for him, would have been as sweet as candy.

"I won't do that, Paige would die."

A swell of pride overrode the anger.

_She does love me…as much as Phoebe does…or did._

But a snatch of thought in the back of her mind prodded, _Yes, she saved both of you, didn't she? But what if she hadn't been able to? What if there would have been no other options? Would you still be alive now? No. Phoebe would. _

She wasn't sure whether the thought had been planted by Barbas or whether it had grown there of its own accord, but she couldn't deny the truth in it. She was glad when Cole answered, his voice breaking through her troubled thoughts,

"Fine. Then eject Isis' spirit instead. Then of course, you'd be saving Paige and killing Phoebe, because without Isis, there's no way to revive her."

_So twisted…_

It hurt, like a knife digging into her, with more intensity than she could ever have imagined.

_This isn't him speaking, _she promised herself in desperation. _He was crazed then, crazed with his love for Phoebe…_

Surprisingly the knife that split through her now, spreading wildfire, was one of jealousy.

_Oh, God. How could I? I'm as bad as Cole…_

She'd been jealous of Phoebe before of course, but how could she not have been? She was everything Paige had failed to be, a successful woman with a lineup of gorgeous boyfriends, an incredible job and….a family that had always loved her, all of her life, as far back as she could remember…

"What about Jeric? He mummifies, can't he de-mummify?" Leo asked, raising an eyebrow expectantly.

"He traps spirits, he doesn't bring bodies back to life, that's Isis' job. So, of course as you can see, you have to make a choice."

Paige felt a ripple of some unidentified feeling as he spoke. A choice. What would Piper say?

"You sick bastard. I can't choose and I won't." Piper's voice was tremulous, more with anger, Paige thought, than with fear, and she felt a surge of pride for her big sister.

"Then they'll both die."

Paige hated herself for it, but she was more relieved than she ever remembered being in her life. Piper loved her, she did. And Cole…Cole loved her now. And he'd overcome any past problems, both of them had. They'd overcome their hatred for each other and Cole, even with his span of demonic powers, had truly learned this time…

"Come on. You're not gonna kill Phoebe." Leo spoke in measured tones, the bitter note in his voice betraying his disgust.

"Well," Cole answered, chuckling good-naturedly, "_That_ is why I am banking on your_ lovely_ wife choosing to save _her_. I mean, come on, after all, she's, like your what, half-sister? You didn't grow up with her or anything; you've only known her for like a year and a half, right? So compared to Phoebe she's like a stranger."

_Like a stranger. _

"She's still my sister and I will find another way."

"Paige?" A fireball flickered across the attic room, morphing from red to blue to yellow to orange before hitting the wall with an explosion worthy of an atomic bomb.

Paige watched, blinking in startled confusion, as a three-years-ago version of herself screamed in abject terror, tears running wildly down her cheeks in deep rivulets.

"How did you do that?" she cried, shaking her head as she backed herself up against a wall.

"Do what?" Cole's expression took on a look of utmost innocence as he smiled evangelically down at Past-Paige.

"Admit it, you're a demon, just tell the truth." She whimpered, voice riddled with horrified fear.

_But…this never happened, _she told herself shakily, _I would remember…_

"Paige, I can't believe you'd even think that. You're the one who's acting strange. If you keep this up, you're gonna hurt yourself."

His familiar face contorting into a concerned frown, Cole took a hesitant step forward.

"Stay away from me!" Paige watched herself moan, retreating into the corner as her eyes widened with terror. "I'm gonna tell Phoebe!"

_I don't understand, _she thought frantically, _I would remember if this happened! We'd never have lost Phoebe! I'd have told all of them! And I wouldn't have given up so easily! Unless…_

"Oh, come on. You don't really think your sisters would leave me alone with you if I was evil?

"Stay away from me." A thin whisper, her voice small and nearly unrecognizable.

"You really think Phoebe would've married me if I was a demon?"

Out of nowhere, flames rose up in Cole's eyes, red and sickening as they sliced through the dark room with an intense heat that seemed to ripple brightly in the sun's dying light.

The phone rang, breaking the silence. And then, as though it had never happened, they went out, his eyes returning to their cool, icy blue, the same eyes that had stared down at her, glimmering faintly with a smile, as he slid over her on the king-sized bed in his new penthouse.

"Hey, did you say something about a honeymoon suite for tonight?"

Paige felt a leap in her chest at the sound of Phoebe's voice, clearly cheerful despite the static-like buzz that made hearing her over the phone-line a difficult task. Cole smiled, casting a glance over at the past-Paige as though to check that she hadn't moved before responding calmly,

"Does that mean you found Karen?"

Karen. The name rung a bell, a memory hanging just at the edge of her consciousness. If only she could just remember…

"Yes. We found her, we saved her, we even saved her job. She's fine. The only thing is," she added, almost conspiratorially, "She doesn't remember anything that happened today." The smile on Cole's face deepened into a pronounced smirk, triumphant.

_Karen, _she recalled with a sudden shock of recognition. _There's so much I've forgotten…Karen, the advice columnist that got Phoebe her job. The one who was infected…with…ugh…with…_

"Perfect." Even over the phone, Paige could practically sense Phoebe's confusion during a tense pause, and then,

"What?"

It was coming back to her, coming back with a startling urgency. How could she have forgotten? But then, how could she not have?

"Well…" Cole amended smoothly, "That means she can't expose you guys as witches. You know what? If we hurry, we can still make late check in."

"Oh…" A pout injected in her voice, Phoebe continued sullenly, "But I don't have anything to wear."

"I can pack for you. I know what I like." A jealousy, so poignant it consumed every other feeling inside her, washed over Paige like a tidal wave.

_How can I be jealous? _she wondered with disgust. _He's been lying to me! All this time I never knew! _

"I bet you do. Okay, I'll meet you there." The laughter in Phoebe's voice sent a sick chill through Paige, a cold shudder.

"Hey, wait-wait-wait. Why don't you tell Leo and Piper to orb straight to Hawaii, don't even bother packing. You never know when the next demon's gonna attack."

_You sick, sick bastard. _The words reverberated off of every veritable surface in her mind, but it hardly registered. A part of her wouldn't budge, wouldn't believe, and no perhaps couldn't believe, that Cole wasn't the same now as he had been then. She was blind, perhaps, blinded by whatever sick relationship that tied the two of them together now. But he'd changed; he had to have.

"I'll tell them. You just hurry. Bye." The phone beeped off, silencing Phoebe's honeyed voice as he shoved it mercilessly into his suit pocket.

A look of deepest loathing filled the eyes of the Paige huddled on the floor as she eyed Cole, a feeling Paige could hardly deny she understood; a look she'd felt emotionally many times before but one that, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself to feel now.

Without warning, Paige's past self leapt up, dark hair lashing out behind her as she threw herself at him. Cole cracked a darkly amused smirk as flames surrounded him, licking playfully at his arms like an old friend even as it lashed out at Paige with a vicious ferocity. She paused for a moment, a look of terror frozen on her porcelain-pale face even as the last tiny spark died away to nothing.

"Stop it." she insisted with dull misery. "Why are you doing this?" Tears bubbled at the corners of her eyes, her pupils dilated wildly.

"What's the matter?" Cole taunted in a whisper. "Seeing things?"

Once he'd shimmered out, it was as though he'd never been there at all. Paige wanted to close her eyes, to take herself away from everything she'd just seen, file it in the back of her mind and forget it. But this, all of this, was happening inside her mind. There was no escaping it, and it wasn't finished yet.

Frenzy struck, breaking the silence as Paige watched herself grab at everything she could find, screaming, tossing them to the wall across the room as tears, unchecked, made their tracks down her pale cheeks.

Bringing Paige a sudden moment of clarity, of final understanding, her past self threw out her hands, releasing a spiral of lightning-like magic that shook the room as it made contact with the old dollhouse. With a roar like that of a forest fire, the dollhouse exploded with bright light, shards landing everywhere and coating the room as they simmered appreciatively on the threadbare carpet.

She watched as, eyes suddenly dry as she stared down at her hands with startled disbelief, herself, one she'd forgotten entirely, collapsed to the floor, buried her head in her hands, and began to sob.

_It was Cole who infected me with the power broker, _she realized in angry awe. _Karen too! Even before he lost Phoebe, he always wanted to kill me. All along, even when there was nothing to be gained by it, he wanted me dead…All along. _

Millions of other visions flashed through Paige's mind, blurring as they competed for her attention: Paige, standing on the tiny headstone that marked her premature death in Cole's twisted alternate reality; Cole, sending an empowered dark lighter after she and Leo, banking on the fact that her cowardly father would never save her.

And more, things she'd never seen, things that Phoebe and Piper had warned her of but that she'd thought she had been readily able to accept. Cole, sending that dark-lighter after her in the alleyway; Cole, ordering Barbas, whispering her weaknesses in his ear, planning her death.

But in the end…Was it enough?

After all, she'd entered into the relationship with the understanding of everything he'd done, of all the hate he'd built up against her, of all the times she might have been dead because of it. But…his face was swimming in front of her, clearer than anything else, so clear….

Cole.

* * *

This is all very gooey and so not my style buuuut i like this. Hope you did too. Rate and review if you have time and sorry to bother you if you dont.


	33. Chapter 33

If I'm any good at suspenseful writing at all, this chapter will come as a bit of a shock ^.^" Remember you've been forewarned. So anyway, this is Chapter 33 and I hope you guys like it! Thanks for sticking up with me so long!

* * *

"Is that the best you got?" Paige breathed, pasting a smirk on her face as she struggled to bring everything in front of her into focus.

Cole was here. She could sense him, could feel him inside her, a black entity…with a pinprick of white light; just a tiny point, granted, a speck hardly recognizable in the coalescing bruise of black and purple and blue. But it was there. And it was enough to go on; it had to be. It was all she had.

"Cole." She propelled herself across the room, throwing herself at him, feeling more reassured than she imagined she ever had before in his presence. Burying her head in her chest, the pain returned with the same intensity that the world around her had a few moments ago, slamming down on her with a suddenness that made her want to cry out with agony. But she didn't, because Cole was here, and he smelled of aftershave and _her _cinnamon perfume and somehow, someway, when they'd gotten out of this, Phoebe would forgive them both. She would forgive her for everything, and Piper too; for Cole and for lying about Prue and for…for putting them in danger.

"Paige?" Hesitantly at first, then suddenly reassuring, strong arms encircled her waist. "You're so _stupid_. You just ran off…Leo couldn't sense you. He thought you were-"

"Dead?_ Noooot_ yet." Barbas flashed his greasy smile.

"Oh, give up." Paige scoffed, feeling, for the first time in a while, in control. "I'm _not_ killing him, sorry to burst your bubble, honey. And_ he_ is not killing _me_. And none of us is killing anyone. Except you, how does _that _sound?"

"Look again, _Paigey_." Piper blinked with confusion, whipping her head around in time to see Phoebe dart forward, face contorted with rage. _It was just a distraction, _Paige realized, her confidence failing. _He was trying to keep me out of the way and, from the look on Piper's face, her too. He just wanted us done up long enough to convince Phoebe to do it…To kill him…Cole…_

_

* * *

_

_Cole is alive again. Alive after everything he's done to you? Is that fair?_

Barbas' voice echoed in Phoebe's head, crude but, if she were to be honest with herself, accurately pinpointing the very thing she'd been subconsciously thinking herself ever since she'd first laid eyes on Cole upon his return.

_He's evil. That can never change. Look at all the times he's tried to kill you, to kill your sisters. And now Paige…It's his fault that all of you are stuck here in the first place, his fault that all of you are going to die. _

_Admit it Phoebe; you need to blame him because you still love him. A small part of you misses him, still wishes he was with you; a tiny part, true, but it resurfaced just as he did. And now you can't get him off your mind; what he's doing with your sister, what she's doing with him…It's too much for you to handle, it's tearing you apart. The two people in the world that mean the most to you…And now you'll lose them both. _

_But more than love, you hate him. You hate him for what he's done and for what he came to do. He'll kill us, and wipe out all of us until there's nothing left. He needs to be stopped._

_But Paige, she can never do it. She's too far gone. She sees in him what you saw once. But all he did was betray you, go behind your back, make a fool of you. He hurt your family, he hurt your friends, he even hurt himself, but worst of all he hurt you. You should be sick of putting everyone first, of leaving your needs at the end of the chain! Look what he's done to you! He hasn't made you stronger, he's weakened you. He's left a scar that can never heal. _

_He'll kill you. And he'll kill Piper and Paige too, right in front of you. _

_Unless, _she realized fiercely, _I do first. _

With a rage that surprised her considering how calmly the thought had occurred to her, she threw herself at him, knocking Paige to the ground with a well aimed punch to keep her out of the way of attack.

Cole's eyes widened with shock as she folded gracefully in on herself, falling into a kneeling position as her leg shot out, bringing Cole to the floor.

Bringing his arms up tightly to his sides, he rolled just in time to avoid her high-heeled foot as it came crashing down, the stiletto making an impact on nothing but air just where his head had been seconds ago.

"Come on, Cole!" she sneered as he dodged another one of her attacks. "Fight back. I know you want to."

"I'm not going to hurt you, Phoebe. I'm not evil." His eyes glinted harshly in the dim light.

"Yeah, and I haven't heard that before." Cole ducked as her fist darted forward, an almost perfect shot. He quickly feinted to the left as she advanced, taking the opportunity to duck around and her and take hold of her arms.

"Phoebe!" Piper lurched forward, adrenaline powering her with such intensity that she was at her sister's side so quickly she could hardly remember running at all. "STOP!"

Piper cupped her sister's stubborn jaw in her hands, tilting her chin up so that their eyes met even as she struggled against Cole's tight grip. "Don't make me hurt you, Piper!" she whispered, her voice starkly pale and almost translucent even without competition in the pure silence.

"You wouldn't." she returned calmly, dropping her hands to her sides. "You wouldn't hurt Cole either. You know better."

"He's evil, Piper! How many times are we going to have to learn before we finally realize?" Phoebe was frenzied, delusional, of course, with whatever illusion-tainted memories Barbas had force-fed her, and it was clear, too, that he was enjoying himself by the look of pure contentment his face showed as he leaned back against the cavern's protruding wall. But the fact still stood that she was right.

"Barbas is evil Phoebe. And he's the one doing this to you." Piper insisted despite herself. Cole was not the problem here, not the immediate one. "Look at what you've done to Paige."

Some of Phoebe's resolve seemed to weaken as she glanced down at Paige, saw her on the floor, biting fiercely at her lip, struggling to stand despite the visible injuries that mangled her arms and legs, bright, red exclamation points against the monotonous gray of the cavern walls. "I…" She was silent for a long time and then, quietly, the wild flames died from her eyes. Glancing expressionlessly back over her shoulder she murmured, "Let go of me."

Puzzled, Cole glanced at Piper, as though in search of a second opinion. "Let _go." _Phoebe commanded firmly, her voice unusually bleak. Cole's grip loosened and she quickly shrugged his hands away. Brushing past Piper, who merely locked eyes calmly with Cole, Phoebe fell to Paige's side. "Shh." she comforted, sickened with herself, as she supported Paige's back with an arm. "Stay put, sweetie."

"I…I'm fine. I can do it myself."

Paige seemed caught at a fragile point between hurt and confusion. Phoebe could hardly blame her.

"You." Paige managed to choke out, anger turning her words to hardened venom as her eyes met Barbas's, "You are _really _starting to _pi_s_s me off_."

"Bravo, bravo." Barbas brought his hands together, his clapping reverberating off the walls of the tiny opening as Phoebe gently helped Paige to her feet. "Well done. I must admit, I _did_ rather expect you to kill him." Cole raised an eyebrow calmly.

Paige cringed against Phoebe's steadying arms and drew back, her eyes narrowing with stubborn anger despite the lack of light in them. She seemed hollow, a pretty shell with nothing inside; nothing except the dampened anger that flitted lazily in her tired eyes like the sparks of a dying fire.

_She's losing blood, and fast, _Phoebe realized with a jolt. _Where is Leo? He should have come looking for us by now. He knows better than to have let Cole come alone, they must've come together. Why isn't he sensing that Paige is dy-_ Her thoughts broke off. _Hurt, _she corrected herself firmly. _Paige is hurt. But if we call for Leo, I doubt Barbas is going to just sit there and watch him heal her up, even if he does come…_

"Maybe _you're_ not as strong as you _think_ you are." Paige's voice was hoarse. Phoebe could hardly believe she had it in her to speak at all, let alone order the tired muscles in her face into a carefully amused smirk.

Piper broke contact with Cole for a moment, her mental interrogation forgotten at the sound of her youngest sister's voice. As she glanced at Phoebe, she knew that they were both thinking the same thing: How long did she have left?

"Perhaps." Barbas allowed politely, back arching in a tiny bow in Paige's direction. "But you know, Paige, they always say: If you want something done right, do it yourself!"

The sudden change in tone was hardly enough warning, yet Barbas, smirking, threw out his hand with startling speed and accuracy. An energy ball ripped out of his flesh with hardly a sound, zooming across the room, visible as nothing but a fizzing blue blur.

* * *

They said that in moments like these, life or death ones Paige supposed, everything slowed down, or at least that was what she'd heard.

But either they were exaggerating, or just plain stupid. Everything seemed just at the right speed: a flash of blue light, Barbas's thin chuckle, the stunned expression that seemed to have become uniform for everyone watching.

It was the blue that really registered though, the sudden brightness that flooded the room like a singularly colored strobe light. And the sensation, just as familiar, a buzzing, thrumming beneath her feet, shaking loose something inside her.

And then she was leaping forward, not aware of anything but that blue and that awful buzzing. And there was Cole, and her perfume, and his aftershave, and that blue, and that buzzing.

And then more: Screaming, shouting, yelling, feet pounding the cool ground, high-pitched laughter.

And the blue, and the steady buzz, buzz, buzz, beneath her feet.

And then quiet.

* * *

There was Chapter 33, hope you all liked it! Rate or review if you have the time and it wouldn't bother you too much. Glad you guys have kept up and checked out my writing. Also, if anyone has any suggestions for some fanfictions or oneshots or anything you can always leave them in the review box. You can check my profile page to see my media interests and if there's anything there you're interested in, feel free to leave some ideas. I'm stricter with what medias I work with (i can't very well write anything for a show or movie i've never seen or a book i haven't read, right?) but if it's within a media i like, i'm willing to move off from my ships to write different pairings, even if it'll probably pain me and'll likely only be a oneshot...Anyway, feel free to critique or criticize, i have no problems hearing the downsides as well as the up :) Hope you like my story.


	34. Chapter 34

Soooo I went away on a vacation I didn't even know I was going on...and when I came back I totally forgot about this! So wow...it's been weeks. And then I came on today thinking oh my god! I forgot! And i realized which chapter was the last one I posted. And even I who don't have that much confidence in people's interest in my writing was like wow...that's just cruel. So ackk if I even have any readers left forgive me? Chapter 34.

* * *

"Phoebe…Phoebe…?" Piper's voice was a broken whisper, nothing more, as she clutched tightly to Phoebe in a feudal attempt to pull her to her feet.

She leant over her youngest sister, fingers flitting across her throat, hoping to find a reassurance there, a promise, that perhaps things would be alright. But nothing came.

Paige was paler even than usual, her mahogany-streaked hair suddenly starkly dark, nearly black, in contrast to the whiteness of her face. Her eyes were still open, dark and glazed, but, with trembling hands, Phoebe gently nudged them shut. That alone was too much, seeing such black lifelessness in eyes that were ordinarily so bright, so filled with ironic humor and stubborn willpower.

Phoebe traced the arch of her eyebrows, traced the hollow of the tiny dimple on her chin, traced the rise and fall of her lips, the color of the candy apples she so liked to indulge herself in on Halloween.

Shaking Piper off of her, Phoebe stumbled to her feet. "You" she breathed, teetering slightly as she shoved past a bitterly quiet Piper and a silent, speechless Cole. "You did this."

Barbas shrugged, smirking, as though amused with her, a parent watching the antics of his dim-witted child. "I'll kill you." Her voice was oddly expressionless, factual but without emotion.

Barbas opened his arms wide and, even before the room began to blur before her eyes, Phoebe knew what he was trying to do. Images bubbled at the periphery of her vision: Cole, straddling her baby sister, his arms wrapped around her small frame as she tilted her head back, laughing low in her throat; Cole, eyes flaming red-orange; Paige, rolling her eyes, stomping dramatically out the front door and pulling it shut behind her with a bang that seemed to shake the house down to its very foundations; Paige just moments later, bright and laughing, but hardly repentant.

And then another image filtered in, slowly this time; Paige in a casket, looking far too small, her eyes, normally cynical and teasing, lightly shut. Her hands were folded together as though they'd been arranged that way, her hair tossed in artfully prepared curls. Her lips had been done with their usual, a velvet-textured lipstick such a bright red that Piper had often complained she had to shield her eyes when Paige walked in the door.

It was incredibly life-like, seemed so realistic. And that was when the truth set in. Glancing up at Barbas, eyes wide and feral but entirely dry of tears, unlike Piper whose own tears now left shining tracks on her cheeks, she spoke fiercely,

"I'm not afraid of you anymore."

Phoebe watched with renewed vigor as Barbas exploded in a flash of fire, the last she could see of his face before it was obscured by flames wrought with confusion, forever stripped of the iron wit that was, in truth, the most potent of weapons in his arsenal.

Turning away with a face void of all expression, Phoebe dusted remnants of the cavern's dirty floor from her jeans. "I don't understand…" Piper managed, shaking. "How is he…"

"I'm not afraid." Phoebe repeated again, all traces of a fierce undercurrent gone from her voice. "There's nothing left for him." Gently kneeling at Paige's side she added coolly, "Leo, it's safe now."

It seemed Leo had been anticipating the call, seeing as the room had begun to spark blue-white before she'd even opened her mouth to call for him. "She's dead, Leo." Phoebe spoke with such conviction, such a lack of doubt, that Piper had to turn away.

Leo glanced at Paige for a moment before following suit. "I know." he managed softly, lowering his eyes to meet Phoebe's dark ones. "I sensed it…as soon as it happened I knew."

Piper threw herself at him in a sudden flurry of movement, her arms encircling his waist and pulling him to her. Pressing her face into him, breathing him in, she cried, "_Why_? I don't _understand! Why _didn't you _come_?"

Leo's blue eyes were bitter. Not only had he lost his charge, the thing he feared above all, but he'd lost Paige, his sister-in-law, and failed his wife. "I couldn't have come." he answered remorsefully, smoothing Piper's mane of straight hair, sticky with the residue of sweat and tears, back from her face. "Once I sensed it, there was nothing I could do to heal her. And if I'd come to try, I risked him killing you too."

"But…you…"

"You did the right thing, Leo." Leo blinked.

"Phoebe…" he started quietly, not needing to sense anything magically to see that the blank, absence of feeling in her eyes was dangerous.

"Go, Leo, and take Piper with you." Leo shook his head slowly.

"Without you?" he asked, frowning. "And C-" he broke off, his frown deepening. "Where's Cole?"

"Go, Leo. Just go."

"We're not leaving you down here alone, Phoebe." Piper cringed at the thought, hands balled into fists, her voice a shaking mess. "Stop being ridiculous and let's…" Involuntarily, her eyes moved to Paige's still body. "Let's…get out of here." she finished without conviction.

"I need to be alone…with Paige." Piper drew in a deep breath.

"She can…Leo can…" she choked out, her voice constricted, teary. "Leo can…take her back with us…"

"No." Phoebe said firmly. "You can come for me when I call you and take me back. But I need to be with her now-here. Alone…please?" The tone of her voice didn't changed throughout the entirety of the sentence so that her 'Please?' could hardly have been deciphered to be a question.

Phoebe met Piper's eyes and for a long moment they were both silent. Finally, tuning back to her husband, Piper whispered quietly, "Take me home."

* * *

"I know you're here and I don't have very long before my sister starts to get suspicious!" Smoothing Paige's dark hair back from her face, cold now, already, Phoebe stood. "Cole! I won't wait for you all day! I _know _you're listening." she added fiercely.

Cole's sigh echoed in the low-ceilinged cavern-room even before the shimmering movement of air marked his arrival. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice conveying the same lack of feeling hers had earlier. Still, there was a note of something less convincing there, a flicker of anger in his pale eyes, an undercurrent of fury in the monotone of his words.

"You know damned well what I want Cole, so cut the crap."

"I don't know what you mean." His face remained carefully impassive.

"Cole…" Phoebe's voice broke, a single tear spilling from her eyes before she quickly scrubbed at it with balled fists. "I'm not Paige." she managed in a whisper. "You can't play these games with me, not now, I just…I can't handle it."

Phoebe had been prepared for the sudden wall of flaming anger that rose up in Cole's eyes at the words, had even expected it. But what she hadn't been prepared for was the cut of raw emotion in his voice as he answered softly,

"You know."

"Yes." she agreed, managing a shaky smile. "So I guess the only question is, who's gonna do it?" Cole frowned.

"Me, Phoebe." he answered carefully. "Who else would you have had in mind?" Phoebe sighed. "I thought it was…important…who Paige could live without. Who…she could handle losing." Cole smirked.

"She loves you Phoebe. You have no idea how much she loves you." Phoebe glanced up, eyes round.

"I don't know about that, Cole." she spoke softly, a note of longing in her voice. "After everything I did to her? I wouldn't."

"Paige isn't like that." he said simply, as though in answer. Phoebe smiled weakly.

"I…guess you must know a lot about her now…"

"Phoebe…" Cole started painstakingly, but Phoebe cut him off almost immediately.

"I can't like you, Cole, you have to realize that. We've been through too much together. You…you've hurt us all too much…And I can't live with that, even if Paige can. I can't forgive you for what you've done to me, and I especially can't forgive you for what you've done to her. But…" She bit at her lip, a tendency she supposed, with a remorseful smile, she'd picked up from Paige. "I can respect you. You fought so hard against evil. It…it seems like you've won now, doesn't it? It's a lot to just throw away."

"I wouldn't be throwing it away." he answered firmly. "I couldn't live if I didn't do it."

"And if it comes down to who she needs…who she can't live without…"

"I understand." Phoebe resisted the urge to, once again, bite at her bottom lip. She had to quell that habit, had to push it away. It was…too much…like her.

"I…I didn't necessarily mean you." she said softly. Cole shrugged, offering a regretful smile.

"I know you, Phoebe. What I've done hasn't changed that. I'm doing this for Paige. But if it helps, if it means anything to you…there's still a part of me that wants to prove myself to you. Paige knows that I'm not evil. You need to know too." Phoebe was silent for a long time and then,

"I'm sorry, Cole but…"

"It's alright" he cut in calmly, holding up a hand. "I didn't expect any great revelations between us." He paused, then took a step back, positioning himself, out of sight, behind a ledge that jutted out, perpendicular to the cavern wall. "I need you to go. We're running out of time." He flicked his wrist, and Phoebe already felt her body shimmering out of focus when she asked, breathless,

"Can I stay here…please?" He turned.

"You have the rest of your life with her." he whispered fiercely. "You can at least give me a goodbye, can't you?" Guilty for the first time, perhaps even sympathetic, she answered softly,

"Yes." as she disappeared.

* * *

Yeaaah so duh they have a plan. Sorry again for the late post, if none of you even remember I guess that's fair, hah. But for anyone who does read, I hope you liked and review if you have time.


	35. Chapter 35

Okay so I'm back on track again...mostly...at least I think it's been about a week? Ah well...I was never good with time management. Or any management really. Ever. But so here it is Chapter 35!

* * *

"_Why_? Why won't you _come_?" Piper aimed a clenched fist at the wall, then quickly drew back as a searing pain rippled up her arm like wildfire, the wall relatively unscathed saved for a mockingly small dent.

"Piper…" Leo began, but he trailed off. There was nothing more to say.

"Prue won't come! Neither…neither will Paige." she pressed her face into her cupped hands. "I can't….lose her too, Leo. I can't…" Her sobs became choked off with silent rage as Leo enveloped her in his strong arms.

"Shhh, shhh." he murmured, his eyes trying to find hers but facing nothing, as though a barrier had come up to shield her from the rest of the world.

"NO!" she shrieked, ducking out of his grip. "No, goddamnit, I won't! I won't let them take her too!"

Leo dashed forward, catching her around the waist and drawing her to him. "Let go!" she snapped, her head tilting towards the ceiling. "You give her back! How much more of our family can you destroy before you realize that this just isn't _working_!"

It was only silence that answered her. Face expressionless now, unsurprised with the Elders' lack of response, she whirled around to face Leo. "I will not accept this, Leo, and neither will you. We're going to get her back. To hell with the Elders." After a tensely strung moment he replied softly,

"Piper…I don't think that's going to work this time." Piper eyed him defiantly, her trembling bottom lip the only sign of her distress. Then, without warning, she crumpled to the floor.

"You can hold me now, Leo." she murmured, the strength gone from her voice. Leo knelt down at her side. Quietly, she cried into his shoulder.

She broke off with a hiccup, both of them glancing up as Phoebe shimmered into focus in front of them.

"Phoebe!" Piper's sobs choked off as, holding to Leo's shoulders to steady herself, she stood. "Where were you?" she demanded. "Why didn't you come…?" Piper scrubbed at her eyes, trying to keep the tremor from her voice. "Why didn't you come home with us?"

"Paige is going to be alright." she said. Piper blinked.

"How?" she asked, speaking quickly before Leo could break the hope bubbling in her. "I knew this wasn't it. I mean…I knew…she…"

"She's going to be alright." Phoebe repeated confidently, and there was only the slightest note of guilt in her tone as she spoke.

* * *

Cole closed his eyes and pursed his lips, breathing calmingly in through his nose. He knew Paige was close. Perhaps she was even just becoming a ghost now, as he crouched behind the low-lying cavern wall that hid him from view. He could picture her, translucent but otherwise the same, her red-velvet lips opened wide in an 'O' of horrified fear and surprise, her dark, doe eyes opened wide as she ascended the cavern ceiling. She would be glancing around now, anxious, her cloud of dark curls brushing up against her bare, snow-white shoulders.

How long would it take for her to understand? How long would it be until she realized that she was dead?

Cole was fully aware when Death came, could feel the temperature of the room shift infinitesimally, could feel the sudden wash of cold clutching at him with frozen fingers, but he didn't move, didn't dare even to breathe.

"I know you're here." The voice was toneless, eternal, but with a note of bitterness hidden beneath the layers of monotony.

"I didn't think hiding would help much." Cole admitted, emerging with a thin chuckle, "But it was worth a shot, eh?" The Angel of Death didn't so much as blink.

"What is it you want?" he drawled, darting a glance in the air above Paige's body. Cole felt his stomach jolt. There was a look of recognition in his eyes, of communication. He could only be seeing one thing right now: Paige's ghost. Stealing himself, he answered clearly,

"I, uh, heard you've got an ear for deals."

"You must have heard incorrectly." the Angel answered, a touch of snide amusement showing through the coolness in his voice.

"Ah," returned Cole, smiling conspiratorially though his heart was pounding out of his chest, "But have I?" Slowly but surely, the Angel turned away from Paige.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Cole began, unrushed, "Let's see….what do _I _have, that _you_ want?" Skillfully, he tossed a blindingly bright energy ball from hand to hand.

"Why would I want _you_ dead?" The Angel pursed his lips, as though growing impatient with a child's games. "If you don't mind," he added before Cole could answer, gesturing to Paige's body, "I have business to attend to."

"Oh, how rude of me." He laughed. "Well, I guess I'll get going too. I've got my own 'business to attend to'." Turning, he flicked his hand.

A group of demons appeared in front of him, wide-eyed, caught off guard. "Hello." he greeted warmly. Flinging out his hands, he disposed of them all with the energy ball that had rested in his other hand, the crackling blue orb shooting a straight line down from one to the other until they'd all disappeared in various displays of pain. "Goodbye." Without turning to gauge the Angel's reaction, he moved to summon another group.

"What are you doing?" Cole was satisfied with the note of anger in Death's voice.

"What do you mean?" Cole asked innocently. When the Angel didn't answer, he added diligently, "This is what I always do. Every day." As a trio of upper level demons appeared in front of him, he hurried to dispose of them as well, flinging energy balls and fire balls until he found himself looking on with calm satisfaction at the mess of blood and guts that lay on the cavern's floor in front of him. "Every day." he repeated, smiling. "Oh and look, here come their ghosts now" he added serenely, banking on the fact that their ghosts had, in fact, appeared though he couldn't see them. The Angel's face seemed to grow taut at this.

"What do you want?" he asked again.

"Hm, I was under the impression you didn't do deals."

"What do you want?" His smile fading, Cole tossed his last energy ball to the ground where it sputtered out, covered in dirt, and died.

"You know what I want?" Cole glanced up, already approaching. Clenching his hands into fists, he answered through gritted teeth, "I want my witch back." He tilted his head in Paige's direction.

"And if I refuse?" Fear trickled down through his body with the lack of welcome that cold water brought in a freezing room. He managed to shrug.

"I'll just keep killing, killing until there's not a single demon left, and the balance of life and death has tipped so dramatically that you won't know where to turn."

"This witch," he started hesitantly, gesturing to Paige, "She's a Charmed one?" Cole nodded slowly, not sure whether this would work in his favor or against. The Angel seemed thoughtful.

"They've interfered with my work before, quite recently, in fact. Without a third…"

"They won't ever stop killing, even without Paige." Cole intercepted quickly. "But you need them all alive, more than you know. It may seem like they tip the scales in Good's favor, but part of the very core of the reason they were created in the first place was to maintain the balance. Without them, Good magic will fall, you need to realize that; after all that's the very reason the Elders went to such trouble to replace the first sister, Prue, after her death, isn't it? And with the Charmed Ones down a witch and vengeful towards the demons about it _and _myself to aid them, I can assure you that the scales will tip very greatly in our favor."

"You say 'our' as though you work for Good." The Angel observed interestedly. Cole couldn't help but cringe.

"That's none of your business," he answered stiffly, "Do we have a deal, or don't we?"

"You're an interesting case." For the first time, the Angel's thin lips twisted up in something comparable to a smile. "This time, we have a deal, but I'll be sure to inform your witch friends that this will be the last. First, though, I have a question: Why are you doing this? Why are you giving up your life for her? Lost love, or something like that?"

Cole felt so light and buoyant with relief he was breathless. He smirked. "Something like that." he agreed. The Angel seemed almost disappointed with his lack of answer.

"Very well then. This won't hurt-much."

* * *

Angel of Death is such a major b*tch! I don't care what he says about being in between good and evil...he's got a serious attitude. I hope I did it justice. I'm rereading Gone With the Wind like I do every year. It totally saps my confidence in writing. I read this and go wow...people actually write like this. o.O...Oh well. That's not me. But I do like this chapter. Okay...rate or review if you have time? Don't feel forced. I hate to force.


	36. Chapter 36

Hey everyone, I am SO sorry it's taken me this long to post-especially when this is practically the last chapter-close to it, anyway. Of course, I intended to bounce back a lot sooner after losing my original ending…but things got sort of out of hand, and the story fell by the wayside. I found it not long ago and was so frustrated with myself for not finishing it that I decided to give it a proper ending. I should probably warn that this chapter IS being written a few years later, and I like to think my writing has gotten somewhat better than it was before. Like usual, I do not own Charmed or any of the involved characters; I'm just a fan, and the only thing that's mine is the plot. Enjoy!

* * *

Paige pressed a hand to the tiled wall, so cold against her searing skin that she might have gasped if she felt she had any breath left in her body. Instead, she merely drew back and squeezed her eyes shut. The running water beat time against the slick floor-tap, tap, tap-but the noise only came to her distantly, as though she were dreaming.

It was hot, _so _hot, in the tiny shower cubicle and her back was bruised red from the torrential rain that lashed mercilessly at her back. She had thought to come here not to think, but to cry-away from Piper and Phoebe's awkward sympathy-yet not a single tear would come, not the tiniest drop.

Instead, she felt numb-numb, and tired, and uncertain. In any event, it was nice to stand here in the shower, nice to go through the normal, routine motion of it. It was familiar, at least, if not very comforting, and she reveled in it.

After a time, though, the temperature shifted towards lukewarm, then cool, and suddenly, Paige was hugging her arms to her chest beneath freezing water. She did gasp now, eyes wide. The water was so cold it was very nearly painful, but for ten more minutes she remained standing there, implacable. The very idea that Cole had given his life for hers, whereas she couldn't abide by the assault of some too-hot shower water, made her flush with impotent rage.

The rage, though, soon faded, just as everything before it had in the past few days. It wasn't as though Paige was incapable of emotion, but rather that she didn't feel inclined to entertain the notion of it. If she opened up that which she'd worked so hard to push away, she might never stop crying, might never stop pitying herself, might never even leave this bathroom-and Cole hadn't died for that.

Paige remembered her waking moments with a dreadful, inexplicable clarity. She had been alone in the dark, shadowed room, and she realized quickly that she was somewhere in the Underworld-where, of course, she wasn't entirely sure, but then, it all looked the same anyway. For one short, horrifying moment, she recalled with a start the torture-physical and mental-that Barbas had put her through. A barb of fear pierced her heart as she scrambled to her feet, looking hurriedly over her shoulders and back again. Was he here? Had he gotten her sisters?

Then, in a flood, the memories came pouring in-of Phoebe charging her, of Cole's screams, Piper's warnings, and the light-the bright, blue light…an energy ball? The image reared in her mind's eye, and she saw again the great, glowing entity as though she was once again being threatened by it. The only though that occurred to her was that it was so _huge_. If he'd thrown that at her-if it had _hit _her-then how was she…

Alive. She was alive.

On her feet then, Paige shook unsteadily. The wounds she'd sustained hadn't healed very much at Leo's hands, and they made it almost impossible to walk. Stubbornly, she used her better leg to drag her limp right half across the cavern. Leaning rather perilously against the warped earth, she willed herself to remember every last detail.

Once she did, she almost wished she hadn't. The very thought had opened the figurative floodgates to her mind, and suddenly she was entirely aware what had happened-aware that she shouldn't be alive.

Perhaps, at that moment, she should have been ecstatic. She was alive-alive when her soul should have already long-ago separated with her body. And yet her senses, perhaps as a whitelighter or perhaps simply as a woman, had always been telling-and now, she felt keenly that this was wrong, somehow.

"You!" she snapped hoarsely, dark eyes flickering dangerously in realization, "You, get your _ass_ down here _now!_ Or I'll-I-"

She knew, now-had realized like a punch to the gut-that there was only one being capable of reversing death-but not, of course, without a price…

"What is it," a voice drawled from out of the darkness, "with you witches and your friends constantly threatening me? It seems ironic, somehow, seeing as I just saved your life."

And then he was standing before her, his dark cloak a pitch-black blot that stood out even int he surrounding darkness. Only a minute earlier, she had been building up all of the energy she had left in her body to throw herself at him-to scream and punch and kick whatever she could get her hands on, perhaps even to orb his balls to Timbuktu.

Instead, she ducked her head, fighting to regain those feelings where now there was nothing but a terrible certainty. "_Why_ am I alive?" she asked, angry at how broken she sounded.

"You are aware, of course, Ms. Matthews, that revival comes at a price. I am a busy man; I wasn't aware that I would be required to linger and chat with you in the aftermath-"

"_Look_-" she began, a sudden anger suffusing her voice and lifting her up in a way nothing else could, "_Cut_ the cryptic _crap _and tell me _who_ the hell_ did_ this-"

The Angel of Death eyed her askance, disdainful, vaguely offended by her tone. "I knew, witch, that I would receive no gratitude for giving you your life-_again._"

It was a great effort on her part to be polite to him, but she realized grudgingly that it wasn't his fault-he hadn't orchestrated this, he had only complied. "Please, _just_-tell me who it was."

Images of Phoebe flashed in her peripheral vision, so real that she almost whipped around to check if she was there. Paige felt a pang at the thought, but no sooner had the idea occurred to her when the Angel spoke. "It was the demon." he said finally, "He offered his soul in exchange for yours."

In the flurry of emotions, the very idea of her savior being _Cole _had never occurred to her. Once, at an earlier date, she would have been resentful-angry, that she owed him such a debt. Instead, there was only a hollow disbelief, followed by an anger that consumed her. "Well bring him _back_ here and _fix_ this-_right now!"_

"I should have known this wouldn't end it." the Angel replied lazily. There was an almost cat-like element to him; he seemed like a panther, lounging and indifferent, but beneath those layers was something fierce and charged. Paige, though, felt no fear at all. "This is getting ridiculous. I have followed the wishes of you and your sisters for far too long, witch. It ends now."

"_No, _don't you _dare-_leave. Don't-" But already, he had gone.

Trance-like, she folded herself into a ball and wedged herself into a corner. She sat there for a while, shivering, feverish, on the verge of sleep. When she woke, she was in her bed.

Piper and Phoebe had been cautious around her ever since they'd put Leo up to taking her home, edging past her room as though she was a deer that would scare at any noise. This treatment, Paige felt, was worse than anything else the sisters could have thought up; it only made her feel weaker, less capable of dealing with the guilt that sat on her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. And Paige had never been one to value weakness.

Pushing the memories away with an effort, she switched off the knob, toweled off, and tossed on the most comfortable clothes she could find-a raggedy t-shirt, and a pair of faded, drawstring shorts. Her hair-clean now, a thick mess of dark, tangled ringlets-she maneuvered into a bun that, though it was anything but glamorous, was adequate enough to keep any irritating wisps from straying.

But though she turned to face the door-even pressed a palm to the knob-she could not bring herself to leave the relative safety of the bathroom just yet. It was not as though she expected either of her sisters to assail her with questions, as they had been going out of their way to give her space, but rather that she knew the sight of him would bring on still more guilt, and a growing obligation to remedy things between them somehow.

She knew that Phoebe, who had denied her love of Cole to the very end, must nonetheless have been mourning Cole herself-at least, to some extent, though it was difficult even now to gauge just how. And both of them, surely, were still confused over the matter of Prue; whether or not they had summoned her since then, Paige couldn't be sure, yet she knew that if they hadn't, they must have been longing to. She imagined that the ordeal the trio had been through must somehow have softened their anger toward her for what she had done, but that didn't at all mean they had forgiven her-not, as far as Paige was concerned, as though they had any reason to.

Unfortunately, the fact of the matter remained that she could not hole herself up in seclusion forever. Sooner or later, she was going to have to face her fears-to summon Prue, to talk to her sisters, to see where things stood. And if she was expected to do all of those things with chin held high, not tempted to flee or surrender to the prospect of eternal solidarity-then it was going to have to be sooner.


	37. Chapter 37

Her sisters were waiting in the kitchen when Paige finally mustered the courage to seek them out. Phoebe was perched on the northernmost chair, feet propped up on the one to her left, and Piper, who was cooking, had her back turned towards the entranceway. It was mid-afternoon-too early for lunch, too late for breakfast-but Paige understood; each and every person had a different way to deal with stress, and for Piper, it had always been this-standing by the counter, mixing things in a bowl, balancing the ingredients, and breathing in the fresh aroma it created. She had said once that oftentimes, she wasn't even looking to _make _food in the first place, but rather to 'keep her hands occupied'. Evidently, according to Phoebe, Grams had had the same habit when she was alive.

It was things like these-things she had not been there to see, moments she would never be able to recall, memories she did not share with the others-that seemed to see to it that she would _always _be an outcast. Much as she wanted to be a part of something-a part of _them-_Paige could not help but sense that she was constantly one step out of sync with everyone else.

But how to explain that to them, in a way that would make them _finally _understand? And why-furthermore-to even bother? After all, it would only sound like an excuse, when there was no amount of words that would ever absolve her of what she had done, and of how selfish she had been. Prue was their _sister, _and no matter how pushed aside Paige may have felt, it wasn't her place to keep that secret. It never _had _been.

Phoebe, as usual, was the first to speak. "Do I know you?" she teased, quirking a wry smile-and had not her words been a little too rushed, a little too cheerful, Paige almost might have believed that nothing had changed. Almost.

Though she tried to seem at ease, her smile felt too big for her face. "Sorry, I-uh-haven't been around too much lately."

Right. Sure. That sounded smooth-and _totally _not super lame.

"Paige-" Piper turned now, and Paige found that she could make out the lines in her face; though she was only a year or so past thirty, she seemed so much older at the moment, so stressed and uncertain. It was disconcerting to see Piper, who had always seemed so solidly dependable, looking that way. It seemed as though she was on the verge of saying something important but then, suddenly, she shrugged it off.

Uncomfortable, extremely conscious of the two pairs of eyes trained on her, Paige settled in the chair farthest from Phoebe and leaned her elbows on the table, propping her chin up in her upturned palms.

For a moment, she merely stared across the table at her sister, one set of dark eyes meeting another. Then, suddenly, everything poured out of her so quickly and so utterly without warning that she was too surprised to stop herself. "I'm sorry. I-_know_ that isn't going to _change _anything. I get that. But it's been so long, and I don't think I've ever even said it and-I'm sorry: _really _sorry. I should have told you."

Slightly annoyed with herself, and a good deal humiliated, she fell silent as unexpectedly as she had begun. Piper and Phoebe exchanged baffled looks.

Then, Piper, raising an eyebrow, said sharply, "Sorry? You _died, _Paige-do you understand that? You _died. _And then you come _back_-and you-you don't even _speak _to us! I just _don't _understand-"

Piper's frustration seemed about to get the better of her, and Phoebe cut in swiftly, shooting her sister a warning glance, "I think what Piper is _trying _to say is-we've missed you. Of _course _we're mad but-we were worried about you..more than I think you know."

Paige resisted the urge to squeeze her eyes shut against the pity-the worry, the concern-in her sister's eyes. This was too much, too awful to be true. She had expected-even _welcomed-_anger…but this…this was much worse than anything she could have imagined.

"We _die _all the time." she countered, brow furrowing. "And it's never been a big deal before. We just come back-that's what we _do. We come back." _

_ Whether we want to or not. _

Her voice was colored with anger, memories of Cole turning her hands to tight fists, and it was a protracted moment before she realized what she had said. "I-" she hurried to amend, stumbling over her words, "I mean-"

"It's alright, sweetie. I know what you meant." But the anger, building now, just wouldn't go away.

"It's _not_ alright," she snapped through gritted teeth, drawing away from Phoebe's proffered hand and instantly feeling a sharp stab of guilt because of it, "It's _not _alright that I'm here, when now there are _two _people who could have been here instead. It's _not _alright that Cole is dead, and Prue is dead, and _I'm still here."_

There was a satisfyingly dramatic stretch of quiet, during which Paige was able to panic over what she had just said undisturbed. She didn't know what was _wrong _with her; she had come down to clear her name, had found that neither of her sisters were angry with her, and had then gone out of her way to ruin _everything. _But it was as though her heart was talking for her-not her head; it was a character flaw and, evidently, a potentially dangerous one. If only words could be taken back, shoved under the rug, forgotten. If only.

"Paige." It was Piper who finally spoke, and her voice was taut with something Paige couldn't quite name. "Do you really think that? Do you really think that-that we want to _replace _you?"

_No, no, no! _This was all wrong. She hadn't been trying to implicate _them _or to make _them _feel worse. This was _her _problem-her _weakness_-and something she was obligated to deal with on her own time. Paige had only meant to apologize-not to draw this whole agonizing experience out.

"She was the better witch." she said finally, evenly. "You were stronger when she was there. And she-"

"We didn't love her because she was a strong witch, Paige." Phoebe said firmly. "We loved her because she was our sister. And we love _you _because _you're_ our sister."

"_Half-_sister." Paige corrected; it was a word she had never been given cause to say before, and it felt foreign on her lips. Condemning.

Piper rolled her eyes, a surprising gesture amidst such serious talk, and Paige raised an eyebrow in answer as her sister remarked, "Half-sister my _ass, _Paige."


End file.
